


Ticklish Shenanigans

by KitchyKitty, Yoshachu



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Tickle Fights, Tickle Games, Tickle torture, Tickling, basically any and all kinds of tickling...., fluffy tickles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-11 00:40:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 103,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13513143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitchyKitty/pseuds/KitchyKitty, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoshachu/pseuds/Yoshachu
Summary: An RP of escalating ticklish shenanigans, mainly featuring the skeleton bros.





	1. Pun-ishment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're not yet sure how much of this almost 2-years-and-counting RP we're actually going to put up, but at least expect plenty of tickling scenes to be posted in the future! [As this is an RP, there are likely to be inconsistencies/plotholes here and there, and if we decide to skip some parts, some context may be missing.]
> 
> KitchyKitty ~ Sans  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

Sans stepped out of his workshop, slippers softly crunching into the snow. He didn't let himself relax until he felt the weighty clicking of the lock, pocketing his key. Walking up to the front door, the skeleton glanced to his left, knowing Papyrus would be done with his patrol shift soon. Gaze lingering for a moment, he finally returned his focus and headed inside and flopped onto the couch.

He was no closer to finding the identity of the anomaly than before, but the usual weariness had crept up on him again, and he figured he could take a break. Besides, seeing his brother would make him feel better and give him a little more energy. His smile slightly widened at the thought of cracking a few puns at Papyrus's expense.

\----

About ten minutes later, Papyrus came home, appearing to be a little more tired than usual and lightly panting.

“Oh, wowie.... Undyne really gave me a workout today....” He sighed as he flopped down on the couch, but yelped when he realized Sans was there. “What the—? Sans! What are you doing sleeping on the couch again?! We talked about this!”

\----

Sans grunted softly, startled out of his light snooze. "oh, hey bro." He scooched up a bit against the armrest, giving Papyrus space to sit. A twinge of guilt rippled through him, but he didn't let it show, instead closing his eyes again with an exaggerated shrug. "heh, well, my bed is _sofa_ away, and I was _bone tired_." He peeked an eye open.

\----

Papyrus groaned loudly and buried his face in his hands. “Saaaaans!”

\----

"by the way, you seem a bit out of breath, not that that's a _lung_ shot for a skeleton." Sans slid his hands behind his head, now fully relaxed again. "did undyne work you _to the bone_ , or what?"

\----

Papyrus stood up quickly and slammed a boot into the ground. “Sans, I just got home and I'm tired! Your sinful puns are only making the fatigue worse!”

\----

Sans continued to smile up at Papyrus, noting that he did indeed look more worn out than normal. And now that he had his brother so riled, Sans felt the urge to ease up and just quietly enjoy his company ... but ... he was having too much fun. He decided to push his luck just a little more. "sorry if you're _tired_ of them bro, but i haven't _exhausted_ my pun repertoire yet."

\----

Papyrus glared down at Sans, shooting daggers out of his sockets. Suddenly, an evil grin stretched across his face as he was struck with an idea. “Wowie, Sans. You sure do enjoy laughing, don't you?”

\----

A pang of warning shot through Sans — something was odd about the look Papyrus was giving him and the tone he used, but now he couldn't quite stop himself. "heheh, well you know me, i've got a pretty big _funny bone_." He braced himself; three bone jokes in such a short span was sure to cause a riot.

\----

“In that case, let me ask you a question: why did the Great Papyrus' brother laugh?” Papyrus activated his magic and turned Sans' SOUL blue, pinning him down on the couch, still wearing that uncharacteristic grin.

\----

"ghh!" Sans eye sockets slightly widened, his hands pulling out from behind his head to gently clutch at his SOUL. It wasn't that the sensation was unfamiliar — or even uncomfortable — it was just so unexpected. Did his brother want to start a fight right here on the couch? No, that seemed silly, he was only pinned in place by gravity. If he wasn't so wary about his brother's next move, this would be pretty comfy. His mind finally processed the question Papyrus had asked and Sans felt his grin briefly falter. "u-uh, because the great papyrus told him a really great joke...?" He knew that wasn't the answer. He knew he was about to find out the hard way.

\----

“Because the Great Papyrus tickled his funny bone!” Whipping off his red gloves, Papyrus dove in, tickling Sans' ribs. “NYEHEHEHEHE!”

\----

Sans would have jumped if he could from the initial shock, quickly curling up and wrapping his arms around himself protectively. "kkhehehaa! w-wahahait! not thahat!" His ribs were incredibly sensitive and Papyrus's fingers were long and nimble — a dangerous combination. "ahaha, y-you gahat mehe, bro!"

\----

“Oh, you think I'm gonna stop just like that? Think again, brother! Nyehehe!” He tickled a bit faster, sliding his hands under his jacket and shirt to scrape his fingertips along Sans' bare ribs.

\----

Sans realized with a certain amount of dread that he was really in for it. He had pushed Papyrus's buttons a little too hard this time, so perhaps he deserved it, but he was already starting to panic. "pap, noho, wahaiiieee--!" he outright squealed as his brother's fingers made direct contact. "hahaaha! ihit's too muhahach! eeehee!" Instinctively, he pushed against his brother's hands as he squirmed.

\----

“Quit trying to avoid your punishment, otherwise I'll tickle a place you won't be able to protect!” To prove his point, he pinned Sans' ankles down on the couch and began to slip off his slippers. Unable to sit up as a result to the gravity spell weighing him down, Sans couldn’t push Papyrus away.

\----

"ahahaaa ... ghnn!" His eyes snapped open, watching Papyrus apprehensively. The smaller skeleton tried to sit up, but found his brother's magic had been perfectly calculated to prevent even that. "p-pap, wait, it's not like i could help it ... it's reflex, you know?" he entreated, already curling his toes. "i'm sorry, okay? i, uh...." _Don't do it. Don't say it_ , his mind told him. "...i don't need to remind you how _sans_ itive i am."

He regretted everything.

\----

“And there goes my last sliver of patience with you!” Papyrus dug his fingers into his socked soles and arches, tickling fast and hard.

\----

"i'm sorryyyyyheheheee!" Sans tugged his feet against his brother's grip to no avail, giving the couch a helpless pound with his fist. "ahahahaaa! hahave some mehercy, bro!" Papyrus's fingers were absolutely devastating, Sans didn't know how much more he could take.

\----

“Once I feel you have learned your lesson, I shall set you free. But until then....” He smirked as he began tickling his toes.

\----

"oh gosh, noho...!" Sans figured he couldn't talk his way out of this, and without any other reasonable options, resigned himself to endure Papyrus's payback in full. His feet violently twitched at the first touch to his toes, the reflexive tugging becoming a little more frantic. "kkhnhnn — ahaa! heheehee!" Another squeal was bubbling inside of him, threatening to break out from his giggling. His fingers gripped the sleeve cuffs of his jacket and he buried his face in the cloth.

\----

“And now the socks come off!” Papyrus slipped off Sans’ socks before resuming his tickle onslaught, his pointed fingertips scraping against bare bony soles and toes tickling like mad.

\----

"nonono...!" he mumbled into his sleeves as his feet were bared. Papyrus had always been careful with him because of his low HP, he knew his brother would never hurt him. But with this, Papyrus could get as ruthless as he wanted and Sans would ultimately be fine. The squeal escaped. "aiiiiiieeeehehee! i canhahan't tahake ihit! ahahehehehaaa, pleahease!"

\----

“Hey, Sans, I remember when you used to do this to me all the time when we were baby bones!” Chuckling deviously, he began ticklishly wiggling his big toe. “This little piggy went to market...~”

\---

Sans couldn't fathom how such a gentle grip on just one toe could be so maddening. The sensation stole his entire focus, intensified by Papyrus's teasing. His vocal range breached a new height with a squeak that surprised even him. "no mohore, plehehease!" Fingers digging into the couch cushions, he shook his head frantically. "eeeeeheheheee~! pleaseplease!"

\----

Papyrus ignored him, continuing to gently wiggle and tickle his toes, humming the rest of the rhyme. “This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had Face Steak. This little piggy had none.”

\----

Sans didn't know what to do with his hands. They felt so useless, alternating between feebly pounding the couch, hugging himself, and covering his face as he fidgeted and squeaked — nothing alleviated the flaring tingles that the gentle toe-tickling produced. "nohoho, pleeehehease...!" He begged, voice tinging on a whine. "pahapyrus, i'm sorryhehe!"

\---

“And do you remember what this little piggy went?” He grinned evilly as he finally reached Sans' pinky toe, wiggling it slowly as he awaited a response.

\----

"kkheheheh~! ghh, you're kihillin' me hehere, bro!" His fingers curled in anticipatory stress. "mayhebe hehe doesn't wahant to go home t-today? maybe h-he wahants to aheh-accept his brohother's apahalogy...!"

\----

“Nope! This last little piggy went WEEWEEWEE ALL THE WAY HOME! NYAHAHAHAHA!” He cackled as he tickled furiously all over his foot and toes, leaving no area untickled for long.

\----

"gaaaaaahahaaaa~!" Sans writhed, tears beading in the corners of his tightly closed sockets. Maybe he had a little retribution coming, but did he really deserve this? The tickling consumed him, rationality had fled, and before he knew it, his magic reacted in desperation, turning Papyrus's SOUL blue as well. He only realized what he was doing just before nearly thrusting a quivering hand away from himself, which may have thrown Papyrus into the wall had he followed through — a mortifying thought. Instead, he quickly released his magic from his brother's SOUL, continuing to vent through laughter and now slowly dripping tears.

\----

The activation and deactivation on his own SOUL was too quick Papyrus hadn't noticed, though he had felt a little funny, but he brushed it off. After a few more moments of tickling, he finally stopped, but kept his brother's legs pinned. “So, brother, what have we learned today?”

\----

Sans took in a gasping breath, panting heavily. He felt like he'd gone through a rigorous workout, and yet he hadn't moved an inch from his position on the couch. Feet still tingling, he wiped at his eyes with his sleeves, croaking out, "to leave you alone when you say to."

\----

“Aaaaand?” Papyrus began to gently tickle under his toes again.

\----

Sans jolted, and not just from the renewed contact. _And? And what?_ His mind reeled in panic. _No!_ "gheheh! aahaa! p-pap, you cahan't be serious..! d-don't take myhehe puns awahay from mehehe!" He flinched, no that was an extreme thought, his brother wasn't that mean, right? "n-no, wahait....!" It was so hard to think with the fingers mercilessly teasing beneath his toes. Finally he recalled everything that led up to his predicament. _Right!_ "no more sleeping on the couch! ahahaaaa! pleasenomohohore!" Ironically, now he wanted nothing more than to curl up and take a nap.

\----

Papyrus snickered a bit under his breath. “What else?~” He started tickling a bit faster with each passing moment.

\----

"kkhggahahaha...!" Sans momentarily sputtered in shock, realizing Papyrus was just toying with him now. He jerked on his ankles as the sensation grew more intense. "hhn-hahahaa! plehease bro, i'm b-beggihing you! whahat do you wahant from meehehee!?" He gripped the fabric of his shirt just above his SOUL with shaking hands, feeling absolutely helpless.

\----

Papyrus grinned deviously. “Exactly what you had said: no more puns for ... let's say a week. What do you say, brother?” He glided his fingers agonizingly light and slow up and down his soles.

\----

Sans covered his mouth, eyes wide in horror. Why had he said that? Why had his brain jumped to that idea, why did he give his brother that notion while he was completely at Papyrus's mercy? Or in this case, lack thereof.

Closing his eyes, he shivered at the new pace his brother subjected him to, toes wiggling and curling in his ticklish distress. "aaaaha....~ that's just b-brutahal, bro ... gheh...!" He looked up pleadingly. "h-how ahabout juhust the rest of the nihight?"

\----

“One full week starting tomorrow or I'll be tickling you for the rest of the night, brother!” Suddenly, he jumped into fast, merciless tickle torture all over his toes.

\----

Sans responded with a suffering whine. He hated making promises and commitments, much less being forced into them. "ah! gaaaahahaahaaaaa, stahap, ahahaaa!" It was unbearable ... but he couldn't let himself be tickled into submission. Papyrus couldn't really keep this up for that long, could he? He had endured even when he thought he couldn't, surely he could assert himself even if he had to take a little more.

"you've gahahtten me bahack alreheady!" he boldly protested, thumping his head lightly against the armrest. "ghnn-nahaha, thihis isn't fahaaair!"

Deep down, he knew he was doomed.

\----

“Oh, you think this isn't fair? No, no, brother....” He climbed off him and rushed to another room before coming back holding a couple feathers, a paintbrush, a soft scrub brush, and an electric toothbrush. “THIS is unfair!”

\----

Sans struggled to try to sit up in Papyrus's brief absence, but found his brother's magical concentration was too good. If he wasn't so anxious, he'd be proud — Papyrus did train very diligently after all. With a slightly discouraged sigh, he rubbed his feet against the couch, trying to dispel the lingering tingles.

When he spotted what his brother held when he returned, Sans's rebellious confidence completely shattered, his bones suddenly feeling numbly hollow with dread.

"p-pap ... okay ... o-okay," he said quietly, unable to keep the nerves from quavering in his voice, "i might be able to hold off the puns for a week." He curled up as much as he could. "just ... let me go, huh?"

\----

“Hmm.... You may say that, brother, but do you actually mean it? Let's make absolutely sure you hold true to your word.” He chuckled as he pinned Sans' ankles back down, and he turned on the electric toothbrush, taunting his brother with the loud sound and the vibrating, twirling bristles.

\----

Sans couldn't help a small whimper as his ankles were dragged back to such a vulnerable position. He'd never really been tickled with much else than fingers before, and never for this duration, he wasn't too keen on finding out what it was like. Wincing at the sound the toothbrush made, he couldn't look away, already feeling pangs of what it might do. "i mean it! honest, bro!" He hugged his arms around his ribs; at the very, _very_ least, he could still attempt to protect himself there if Papyrus decided to switch it up.

\----

“Let's make absolutely sure! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!” He began scrubbing the toothbrush fast and hard up and down his soles, the bristles tickling worse than Sans had originally thought.

\----

It was indeed very different than what Sans had expected, and in the worst way. His entire frame lurched as the bristles were pushed against his soles, but the most maddening thing was the constant vibrations that resonated straight into his bones; it was absolute torture.

"aaaaaaahaaaaaaaahahahaaaaa~! nohohonononono, turn ihihit off!" he wailed, mindlessly pummeling the couch with his fists. "ahehe, dohohon't lihike it! stahahap! p-pleheheeehease, stahahappit!"

\----

“SNEAK ATTACK, NYEH!” Catching Sans off guard, he pounced on his brother's chest and pinned his arms down with his knees before scrubbing the brush along his bare ribs.

\----

"hh-ghh!" Sans barely had time to register the transition, let alone brace for it. "gahahaaahahaeheheehaaaaaaa! naha—! nahat there, oh gahahahahaa—!" He thrashed, his now free legs kicking in desperate, ticklish agony. "pleeeahehe...—! pleheasepleasepleheheeheease, dohon't do thihis to meeheheheee! hahahahahaa~!" He didn't think he could feel more helpless as he weakly tugged on his arms, unable to claw out what felt like an angry bee trapped in his ribcage.

\----

Papyrus grabbed one of the feathers and began stroking it along his cheeks, neck, and under his chin, still tickling his ribs with the toothbrush. “Nyehehe! You're laughing like a little baby bones! Perhaps I shall treat you as such as well! Coochie coochie coo!~”

\----

"kkgghehah~!" Sans flinched at the feather's touch, tossing and turning his head, his already impossibly wide grin quivering. "ahaahehe cahahan't tahahake ihihihit...—!" His breaths were heavy with the threat of sobs, eyes watering again. "ahaaaa—! n-nahat thahat!" Somehow, Papyrus's cooing made everything worse, the tingles throbbing more intensely with every word, reminding him of how powerless he was in this moment.

If only he hadn't challenged his brother, he lamented with as much coherent thought as he had left.

\----

Papyrus chuckled, this time sounding sympathetic. He stopped tickling and climbed off, subsiding the gravity spell on Sans' SOUL. “Okay, I believe you have been tortured long enough. Are you okay?”

\----

"nnhnn...." Sans panted, exhaling breathy whimpers. He tried to scrabble to a sit once more as he felt the pressure lift away from his SOUL, but his arms trembled and he slumped back right where he was with a quiet groan. "ghh ... that was awful...." Everything was still highly sensitive, even the last of his tears that had shook free from his sockets tickled as they strolled down his cheeks. He hurriedly wiped them away, tilting his head to look at his brother. "i.... ...yeah, bro, just ... could you get me some water? please?"

He couldn't be mad at Papyrus, but he still felt his brother went beyond what he deserved. A growing sense of karmic retribution was gnawing inside of him and he glanced at the remaining unused tools he had been lucky enough to avoid. Perhaps his brother should find out what they felt like. When his energy was recovered.

\----

“But of course, dear brother!” He trotted to the kitchen and returned shortly with a glass of cold water, helping Sans sit up before handing him the glass. “I suppose I went a little overboard. My apologies, Sans. I honestly don't know what came over me.”

\----

"thanks, papyrus," he said quietly, accepting the help and the glass, taking a few relieving sips. His breathing calmed and posture slacked into his usual relaxation. "i must have really—" he faltered. _Hit a nerve with you_ his thoughts finished for him. This was going to be tough. "uh, you must have really been annoyed with me, heh. how'd you get so good at that, anyway? i mean, it was bad for _me_ , but...," he trailed off in a mumble.

\----

Papyrus shrugged. “Well, sometimes Undyne likes to challenge me to little scuffles and contests, and tickle fights happen to be one of her favorites. I learned through her techniques and trying to retaliate against her myself.”

\----

Sans blinked up at him in interest, he hadn't heard that about the Captain before. Somehow the image of her and his brother locked in an intense ticklish battle genuinely amused him and he chuckled with arched eyes. "heheh, wow, well, i guess it was pretty effective bro." Part of him was also happy to realize this meant Papyrus was still ticklish as well. He hadn't really done too much since his brother was a babybones, so he hadn't been sure if he'd outgrown it.

"that's not the reason you came home so tired today, is it?" he asked, drinking the last of his water.

\----

“Erm!....” For a moment, he looked alarmed, almost scared, before shaking his head and letting a louder laugh than usual, obviously sounding forced. “Of course not, Sans! Besides, just because we have these tickle fights that doesn't mean in the slightest that I am ticklish — I MEAN!....” Stumbling over his own words, he tried to backpedal. “F-Forget I just said that! We were just having our usual sparring! YES, THAT'S IT! SPARRING! HA HA HA!” He let out another forced laugh as he grinned nervously.

\----

It was all Sans could do to hold back a snicker. Papyrus must be _really_ ticklish if he was panicking this much. "of course, bro." Setting his empty glass down on the floor, Sans eyed his socks on the other side of the couch where Papyrus had discarded them earlier. Normally he'd just ask for his brother to hand them over, but now he purposely leaned over his brother's lap, very casually and very lightly brushing his fingers against Papyrus's knee, reaching and grabbing his socks. Pulling himself back, he began to put them on. It was funny how much more secure they made him feel now.

\----

Papyrus let out a startled yelp and clenched his teeth together at the light touch against his knee, leaping so high he almost bounced Sans off him and to the ground. He cleared his throat and looked away, trying to brush off his reaction, and his cheekbones were lightly tinted with an embarrassed orange hue.

\----

"hey, papyrus," Sans began, slyly gazing at him with his lazy grin, one hand draping off the armrest, "do you know what I like to do more than laugh?"

\----

Crossing his arms, Papyrus rolled his eyes — or lack thereof — in annoyance. “Oh, stars, where to begin....”

\----

The smaller skeleton chuckled with a mild shrug, subtly clenching his fingers as he turned his brother's SOUL blue, softly flicking his wrist to gently push Papyrus down against the couch cushions, pinning him there. "i like to make other people laugh," he finished, sliding off his seat, and gingerly snatching his brother's scarf away.

\----

Eyes widening, Papyrus scrambled to sit back up, but the weight of his SOUL keeps him pinned. He began to panic as he tried to reason with his brother. “S-Sans?! What are you doing? D-Don't do anything! Let me up!”

\----  
"sorry, bro, but i've got a b—" He stopped himself, maybe he had the upperhand now, but he would keep his promise, even if technically Papyrus had said his pun privileges would be revoked starting tomorrow. "...a score to settle." He threaded the scarf underneath the cushion that Papyrus's legs rested on, and climbing onto his brother's knees, he pushed off his brother's large boots, knotting the scarf around Papyrus's ankles.

With Papyrus being so much lankier than he was — and physically stronger and fitter — Sans hoped it would be enough to keep his brother contained. He glanced at his brother's arms, but he was more concerned about getting kicked than grabbed.

\----

“S-SANS!” He began struggling, trying to free his ankles. But once the slightest sound of a rip was heard, he stopped immediately. “OH, NO! I-I mustn't tear my scarf! SANS, LET MY ANKLES GO!”

\----

Sans was a little concerned about the scarf's fragility, but he swore to himself then and there he would fix it if anything happened to it. "i don't think so," he answered casually, though he turned away from his brother's feet, sitting cross-legged at his hips. "how about we prove how not-ticklish the great papyrus is, hm?" He hovered fingers above his brother's exposed spine. "i know i'd be really impressed to see that." Lowering his hand, he slowly and softly trailed a fingertip up and down.

\----

“Nngh!....” Papyrus gritted his teeth and covered his mouth with his hands, lightly trembling as he struggled to hold in his laughter. “S-See? Th-The Great P...Papyrus isn't t-t-ticklish!”

\----

Sans arched his eyes, not letting up in the slightest. "wow, you're so cool, bro!" He gingerly explored each vertebrae, softly prodding into the slight spaces between.

\----

Grunting and squeaking with each poke between the grooves, his spine started to tremble and jerk slightly. “S-So you can stop n-nohow!.... Hnnngh!....”

\----

Sans was a bit mesmerized by Papyrus's reactions, it was rare to see his brother try and restrain himself. "hold on, i wanna try something," he said almost playfully, picking up the paintbrush from among the things Papyrus had previously gathered. With genuine curiosity, he softly danced and twirled the bristles over the length of his brother's spine.

\----

Papyrus squealed loudly and began bouncing his backbone around, unable to contain his laughter any longer. “N-NYEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA! SANS, STAHAHAHAP! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

\----

Sans actually did stop, grin widening ever so slightly. So many jokes ran through his head, but he painfully denied himself every one, instead only teasing, "oh, wow, pap, i guess you're ticklish after all, huh?"

\----

“I-I!....” He groaned softly in defeat. “Yes.... B-But I'm not nearly as ticklish as you are! So be sure not to push your luck too far, brother!”

\----

Sans twitched at the subtle threat, but shrugged it off. "how about i show you as much mercy as you showed me? then maybe we'll be even." He closed one eye in a wink before turning around, reinforcing the restraint on Papyrus's legs by planting himself on his shins and gently setting his fingertips against his brother's soles.

\----

Papyrus yelped and curled his toes, trying to yank his legs out from under his brother. “S-Sans, don't! I-I had a perfectly good reason to tickle you! This is unjust!”

\----

Sans was glad he'd chosen to tie Papyrus's legs instead of his hands, or he might've not been able to hang on with the taller skeleton's struggling. Lightly swirling a fingertip in a circular motion in the middle of one foot, he turned his head back to look at Papyrus. "you tickled me to tears, bro. just for a few harmless puns? maybe i went too far tonight, but so did you."

\----

His foot twitched and squirmed as he giggled at a high pitch, hands gripping the sides of the couch cushions. “Nyehehehehehe! I-I sahahaid I was sahaharry! Ahahahahaha!”

\----

"i know," Sans replied. "i just haven't accepted your apology yet." Turning back to his task, he now used all of his fingers to glide from heels to toes and back. He really did enjoy the sound of Papyrus's laughter. Even if Sans was drawing it out by force, it was so warm and positive, he felt his spirits lifting.

\----

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ST-STAHAHAHAP! IT TIHIHIHICKLES! NYEHEHEHAHAHAHA!” Papyrus laughed loudly as he struggled to flee, but the weight of his SOUL and Sans sitting on his legs pinned him in place. He began to bang his fists against the couch as he threw his head back.

\----

"oh good, that means i'm doing it right." Sans chuckled, continuing his motions for a few more moments. His fingers stopped at his toes, and he gingerly gripped one set, prying them back. Using his other hand, he prodded and traced around underneath with careful precision and curiosity. Sans wasn't sure he'd be able to match Papyrus's ruthless techniques, but lazily exploring was suiting him just fine at the moment.

\----

Caught in a strong, uncontrollable fit of squeals and giggles as he struggled to gain control of his toes again, Papyrus was having trouble uttering a plea. “AHAHAHAHAHAHA! NO-HAHAHAHAHA! NOT THAHAHARE! NYAHAHAHAHA! STA-HAHAHAHA!”

\----

"ah, these toes are still pretty sensitive then, huh?" He gently gripped the big toe between finger and thumb, gingerly rolling it between them. "you know, i always did wonder about that human rhyme. why do they associates toes with pigs? is it because their toes are all fleshy like the rest of them? oh well." He glanced back at Papyrus with a genuine smile. "it always made you laugh, anyway."

\----

Papyrus giggled uncontrollably as he balled his hands up into tight fists and holds them up to his chest, obviously not knowing what else to do with them. “W-WELL, I'M GLAHAHAHAD ONE OF UHUHUS IS ENJOYING HIMSEHEHELF! NYEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEE!” He let loose a squeaky snort.

\----

"oh thanks bro, it means so much to me that you care." He was teasing, but it was actually a true statement about his brother in general, so it didn't come out quite as sarcastically as he intended. He chuckled. "that's adorable, by the way. can undyne get you to make a sound like that?" He shifted his fingers to the next toe, and after half a minute, the next, making his way down the line to the pinky toe.

\----

“NYEEEHEHEHEHEHE! N-NOHOHOPE, ONLY YOU CAHAHAN! AHAHAHAHEHEHEHE!” He kept wiggling his toes around as he giggled, the occasional snort slipping out from time to time.

\----

Sans finally outright smirked, cradling the smallest toe between his fingers. He firmly gripped Papyrus's foot before softly scratching the toe with his fingertips, wiggling, digging under and spidering over. "i gotcha now, pap, heh. kitchy kitchy! dozzat tickle, bro?"

\----

Papyrus squealed as he slapped the couch cushions, tears beginning to fall down his bright orange cheeks. “NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA! N-NO TEHEHEHEASING! NYEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEHEHEHE!”

\----

"oh!" Sans eyes lit a bit brighter in honest excitement, his grin deliriously happy. "i think i just got it! pigs squeal, don't they? that must be it!" Now caught up in the moment, his elder-brotherly instincts were kicking into high gear. "heheh, 'samatter, bro? can't take a little teasing? tickle tickle tickle!" His fingers skittered down Papyrus's soles and he picked up one of the feathers, stroking it along his arches and flitting under and between his toes.

\---

“N-NOHOHOHOHOHAHAHAHA! SAHAHAHANS! I SHALL HAHAHAVE MY REVEHEHENGE! AHAHAHAHAHA!” He found that all his thrashing and squirming was starting to exhaust him, for his movements began to slow; his laugh, however, was as strong as ever.

\----

Sans froze, slowly lowering the feather and turning to face his brother. He noted the tears with a pang of guilt, not having really intended to push his brother so far. "heh, uh ... i guess i got a little carried away myself," he admitted. "but, uh, if you get revenge for my revenge for your revenge, that just seems like a dangerous road to go down, you know...? can't we call it even now?"

\----

Papyrus panted heavily — despite his lack of lungs — and hesitated a bit before answering with a tired smile. “I suppose you make a valid point there. Alright, then, the Great Papyrus shall spare you this time! And....” He looked away, a bit embarrassed. “Well... I'm happy you enjoyed yourself even at my expense. Which ... honestly wasn't as bad as I made it out to be. After all, I know you'd never hurt me, brother, so I knew I was completely safe. So you needn't worry about me!” He shot his brother a reassuring grin.

\----

Sans's expression brightened, his large, elated smile coloring his voice with warmth. "you really are the best, papyrus." He scooted and dropped himself forward, hugging Papyrus around his chest as he called off his magic to restore his brother's SOUL to normal.

The smaller skeleton glanced up. "heh, and ... if you ever pulled something like that on me again, just keep in mind i'm not undyne, i probably don't have half the tolerance to it that she has." He chuckled weakly. "but, uh, are you doing all right after all that?"

\----

Papyrus chuckled and hugged back, sitting up. “Worry not, dear brother, for I was actually successful this time around! Well, to an extent. She really gave me quite the workout, I'll tell you that. Speaking of....” He smirked playfully as he gently poked Sans' ribs. “Perhaps Undyne could help train you as well. It would definitely make you much more active.”

\----

Sans flinched with a squeak, his eyelights flickering out and back at the thought. "ghehh! ... i d-don't think that'd be necessary, bro, it takes a lot of work to be as inactive as i am, heh." In a certain sense, it was true, Papyrus didn't know how closely he was monitoring the workings of the Underground, even with his ever-growing nihilism, he still cared for the people around him enough to keep an eye on things and intervene if necessary. "besides, the captain is a little intense. doesn't she like you to stand there and take what she throws at you with her green magic? even if it's just a tickle fight, i don't think i could take a friendly hit, heh. i feel safer training with you and dodging...." 

He glanced away, then back with a sheepish smile. "here, uh, let me get you your scarf back." Pulling away, he kneeled at Papyrus's legs again, carefully untying the ends of the cloth from his brother's ankles, pulling it out from under the cushion and offering it to him.

\----

“I suppose you have a point there. And thank you, Sans.” He took the scarf back and inspected it, finding no major tears, before wrapping it back around his neck.

\----

"still looks so cool on ya." Sans beamed, reaching up to lightly bat it with a 'dusting-off' motion. He wasn't sure what exactly compelled his next move — all the excitement had left him in a better mood than before, even it had been torturous for him, and especially having to keep his puns in check left him bursting with mischief. His fingers dove between the fabric and Papyrus's neck, wiggling teasingly. "and so does a smile!"

\----

Papyrus squeaked in alarm before falling into a fit of high-pitched, rather cute giggles, trying to protect his neck by rolling up his shoulders. “NYEHEHEHEHE! H-HEY! EHEHEHEHE!”

\----

Sans quietly giggled right along with him, eyes arched, as he spidered his fingers to the back of Papyrus's neck. "kitchy coo! haha, maybe it was a good thing you were keeping your ticklishness on the down-low from me, this is way too much fun, hehehe~"

\----

“NYEHEHEHAHAHAHA! YES, A-AND SOHOHO IS THIS!” Quickly reaching out to Sans' exposed torso, Papyrus tickled his ribs through his shirt.

\----

"kkehehahaa~!" Sans's arms snapped up against himself, curled fingers raised to his mouth as he squirmed with a squeal. It wasn't nearly as stressful as with being restrained by his SOUL, but it still tickled like crazy. "aahahaa! ihihit tihickles~! gaahahaaa!" His cheeks were faintly hazed with blue.

\----

“Maybe so, but at least you're laughing!” He decided to tickle a bit softer as to not overwhelm him.

\----

Sans's squirming slowed to fidgeting at the gentler sensation. "kkheh~! heheh! ahaheh!" Opening his eyes to a squint, he attempted to retaliate, but the only place he could reach that wouldn't expose him further was his own brother's ribs. His fingertips clacked uselessly against Papyrus's battle body, and for some reason, he found the whole thing absurdly amusing, snorting through his giggles.

\----

“NYEH HEH HEH! Nice try, brother, but my battle body is tickle-proof!” He suddenly slid his hands under Sans' shirt and began skittering along his spine.

\----

Lightly jumping at the rapid touches, Sans flopped down in a slight curl, pushing against Papyrus's arms with all his limbs — socked-feet included. "ghhahah! hehehe, noho! you gohot too muhuch of ahan _armor-vantahage_ , bro!" Immediately horrified, he covered his mouth, eyes wide. It barely qualified as a pun with how bad it was, but the worst ones seemed to get on Papyrus's nerves faster. His allotted time hadn't even technically started yet and he was already breaking his word. "s-sorry!" he squeaked.

\----

“Ohoho! You must REALLY want the tickling to continue, don't you, brother?” He grabbed his ankles and placed them under an arm, readying to tickle his feet with the other hand.

\----

"i-it just slipped out...! i-i...!" Nervously tugging on his ankles proved that Papyrus's grip was steadfast. Chuckling rather incredulously at himself, he sighed and sat up on his elbows, knowing that he was going to face the music anyway. He might as well be himself. "h-heh, i guess it's harder to _vertebrae-ke_ me than either of us thought."

\----

Papyrus chuckled in amusement. “You know something, Sans? I was just kidding. I wanted to tease you and let that pun slide. But now? Now I'm gonna getcha!” He whipped off his socks and grabbed the soft scrub brush before scrubbing his soles with it, the soft bristles tickling twice as bad as the toothbrush.

\----

Sans tensed up with a groan, he was getting himself into trouble way too much tonight. With his socks shed yet again, the dreaded feeling of vulnerability returned and his toes curled in helpless anticipation. When the scrub brush hit, everything he was expecting was subverted and he jerked with a whining yelp. It didn't vibrate like the toothbrush which he was eternally grateful for, but the bristles were silkier and glided effortlessly, the bigger tool nearly enough to engulf an entire foot. It was enough to drive him up the wall — or in this case, about halfway up the couch. "oh gaaahahaaa—! stopstopstahahahappit! pap! aahaaaaaaahahaaaaaaa! ihit's reheally bahahad! aaaaaha!" His eyes stayed wide open, staring at the vexing thing in his brother's hand.

\----

Papyrus switched to scrubbing his toes. “Let's first see how well this works here! Nyehehehe!”

\----

"nnhnn—! ggheheheeehaaaaaaa~!" Sans writhed, his back arching, and he bucked, desperately trying to wrench his feet away from the torment. The brush swallowed his toes in unbearable sensation, able to get under and over and in between all at once. "ahaahaaa, whyyyyyyheehehee...—! oh, gahaa—! pleeeeheaseplehehee...—! aahahaaa...—!" Voice strained at a high pitch, his laughter trailed into silent fits before gasping and starting again.

\----

Quickly stopping and letting go of Sans, Papyrus looked down at him in worry. “A-Are you okay? Did I go too far? I'm sorry, brother!”

\----

Sans curled up as he was released, bringing trembling fingers to rub his toes. He jumped anew as the lingering tingles flared up again at his own touch, and he decided to let them quell on their own, like letting a hot plate cool. "aaahaa ... oh, wow, pap...." He looked up at his brother a little dizzily, breathing tapered by short gasps. As awful as it had been in the moment though, Sans knew Papyrus sincerely cared about him and would never let him come to true harm. It drove him crazy, sure, but Sans did that to his brother in his own way with his constant pranks. If Papyrus had found a satisfying way to get back at him, well, he'd let him have it. "nah, i'm a-alright ... it's okay, i trust you, ya know?" Wearily sitting up, he leaned against Papyrus with a sigh, his grin hinted just a touch of mischief. "just, uh, maybe use those brushes _spare_ ingly, huh?

\----

Papyrus threw his arms high in the air, the brush flying through the air and crashing into the other side of the room. “OH, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!”

\----

Sans snickered. "heheheh! sorry, bro, i couldn't resist one more. i really will try to tone it down for the next week though. honest." All the exertion finally caught up with him and he yawned, feeling his sockets grow heavier. "dang, i'm hungry, but ... i might just wanna get to bed...."

\----

“Sans, you don't need any more sleep, you already sleep eight hours a night anyway! Not to mention all those other naps throughout the day!” He leapt to his feet, striking a pose. “You might as well eat, and I, Master Chef Papyrus, shall be the one to prepare for you one of the more finer spaghetti dishes! And before you ask, no, you cannot go to Grillby's tonight; as a matter of fact, I forbid it! If there's anything you've had more than sleep, it's grease and ketchup! For Pete's sake, brother, how are you even still alive with all that smelly, icky mess?!”

\----

"alright, alright," Sans relented, internally pouting. He could always sneak out to Grillby's later if he was really inclined. Glancing down, he leaned over and picked up his empty cup from earlier, holding it up. "mind refilling this while you're in the kitchen, then?"

\----

“But of course! But if you even THINK about sneaking off while my back is turned....” He glared sternly at Sans before taking the glass and backing up slowly into the kitchen, glaring at him suspiciously all the while and doing the ‘I've got my sockets on you...’ gesture with his pointer and middle fingers.

\----

"wouldn't dream of it bro." Sans took pleasure in toying with the idea. He could teleport the moment his brother was out of sight and probably be back with a greasy bag of takeout before Papyrus was done boiling the noodles. But he didn't really want to be so spiteful, especially since his brother was going out of his way to show him he cared. His lids drooped before suddenly snapping open. Sliding down from the sofa, he curled up comfortably on the floor, head resting on his jacket sleeves. If he did fall asleep, at least it wouldn't be on the couch.


	2. Hairpin Trick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Undyne

All of a sudden, after what felt like about a few minutes, a small cup of water was splashed in Sans' face in an attempt to wake him up, followed by a loud, "SANS!"

\----

"gh—! wha—! what!?" The small skeleton jumped, sitting up rigidly, water dripping down his face. "...oh." His addled expression turned slightly guilty. "heh, is uh, dinner ready?"

\----

Papyrus glared sternly down at Sans. “It's been ready for about fifteen minutes. That's right, I've been trying to wake you up for a quarter hour now! And just because I said no sleeping on the couch that doesn't mean you had to sleep on the floor! Honestly, what are you, a smelly moldy sock? Which, by the way, you STILL need to pick up! I'm pretty sure the spaghetti is cold by now, so either stay awake while I reheat it or eat it cold! And I swear, if you fall asleep again, I'll tickle you awake next time! No more sleeping anywhere that isn't in your bed from now on, Sans!” He panted lightly from his loud, speedy lecture, and he rubbed the bridge of his nasal cavity. “Honestly, what would you do without such a cool guy looking after you, huh?....”

\----

Sans's usual grin hovered on the cusp of a frown, his eyes downcast, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "ah, geeze ... i'm really sorry, papyrus. i guess i'm just really worn out." He couldn't quite meet his brother's eyes, shame churning in his core at the beratement. "i dunno, i think i'd be lost without you, bro...." Pushing himself up to his feet, he offered an apologetic expression. "hey, uh, i'll come with you this time, so maybe then i won't fall back asleep?"

\----

Expression softening, Papyrus bent down on one knee to gently hug Sans. “No, I should be sorry. This time you actually have a need to nap; I mean, I nearly tickled the daylights out of you more than once in less than an hour! I suppose I should be a bit more understanding.” He picked Sans up. “But if you really do want to accompany me, I won't complain. I always enjoy your company after all! I mean, who wouldn't enjoy the company of the Great Papyrus' coolest older brother?”

\----

Sans wrapped his arms loosely around his brother's neck, resting his cheek against the soft scarf. Papyrus's gentler tone pushed his emotions past the tipping point, and his eyes moistened. He muffled a sniffle. "thanks, pap." Clinging to him like a lifeline as he was picked up, Sans eased back into a smile. "i guess i like to rile you up sometimes, bro—" he glanced at the lone sock next to the television, "but i hope you don't think that i don't appreciate that you try to push me to do my best, or that i don't listen to you. i couldn't ask for a better brother than you."

Closing his eyes, he paused, then chuckled. "heh, and yeah, you're a great tickler. maybe too great," he half-teased, though the other half was serious.

\-----

Hugging Sans again, Papyrus gave him a gentle, affectionate squeeze. “Well, of course I'm a great tickler. Perhaps people should start calling me Tickle Master Papyrus.” He chuckled at his own joke. “And yes, I do know you appreciate what I do for you. You still do your five or six jobs — somehow — so you can pay for the house every month. I don't say this enough, but I'm really proud of you, Sans. You may be lazy and a bit annoying at times, but you're mature and supportive and friendly and very responsible once you're motivated enough! With that being said, you're as cool and great as me, if not a tiiiiiny big cooler.”

\----

Sans happily nestled into the affection, lightly blushing at the praise. "nah, nobody's got ya beat in the cool department. but ... it means a lot to hear you say that." Feeling so comfortable and loved, he almost wished the moment would never end. "a whole lot, bro."

The faint scent of Papyrus's cooking still lingered in the air and Sans was reminded how hungry he was. He perked up a bit eagerly.

\----

“Oh, yes! The spaghetti, how could I have forgotten? You're probably starving at this point! I mean, look at you, you're nothing but bones!” He smirked affectionately as he gave Sans' ribs a few light pokes before carrying him into the kitchen.

\----

Sans tensed his grip, burying his face in Papyrus's scarf. "aha~! khheh! oho, i see how it is. you just wanted to claim the title of pun master for the week," he joked, smiling broadly.

\----

Papyrus stopped abruptly in his tracks, a very disappointed look on his face, and he groaned and buried his face in a gloved hand. “Oh, my gosh, I didn't even mean to make that pun! You’re such a bad influence, brother!” He placed him on the ground before placing the plate of spaghetti in the microwave and reheating it.

\----

"heheh! no, you don't understand how proud i am!" Sans continued to playfully tease, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets and slowly rocking on his heels as he waited. "if you keep at it, they'll be comin' to ya naturally all the time, bro."

\----

“Oh, PLEASE don't get that image in my head, Sans!” The microwave beeped and he pulled out the spaghetti before handing it to Sans. “Here, just take your spaghetti and eat it.”

\----

"thanks!" Pulling out a fork from the nearby silverware drawer, Sans leaned up against the counter and dug in. Honestly it wasn't that bad — better than the last time he gave into Papyrus's insistence at trying his spaghetti at least. Reheating it probably even helped a bit. In any case, it was pretty filling and he was grateful. "mm, pretty good, bro. undyne must be proud."

\----

Papyrus began to snicker, covering his mouth with his hands, and tried not to burst out laughing; meanwhile, Sans sensed the temperature in his mouth rising quickly, and he quickly found that the sauce was replaced with chili pepper purée.

\----

Sans noticed Papyrus laughing and blinked in confusion before it hit him. No wonder the spaghetti tasted all right — there was an ingredient that had actual flavor, and it was quickly becoming overwhelming. "hhn-hhh—!" He panted, making an uncharacteristic dash for the fridge, rummaging through the Tupperware. "ghh, p-pap, where's the milk?"

\----

Unable to hold back any longer, Papyrus threw his head back and laughed loudly. “NYAHAHAHA! Oh, Sans! You should see the look on your face!”

Unfortunately for Sans, there was nothing in the fridge but bottles of water, and, as everyone knows, drinking water with a burning mouth makes the heat in one's mouth worse.

\----

Starting to lightly perspire, Sans frantically continued the search until he was convinced there was nothing but water. Knowing it would be unpleasant, but would ultimately help, he grabbed a bottle, fumbling as he tried too quickly to unscrew the cap. He held it for a second with a wince, then gulped down about a fourth of it in one go. There was a momentary dampening of the spicy heat before it redoubled, and tears welled in the corners of his tightly closed sockets. Grimacing, he tipped back the bottle, finishing it off and grabbing another, draining that one as well before there was any noticeable relief.

\----

Papyrus kept laughing, hunching over a bit and supporting himself on his knees due to laughing so hard. He finally calmed down once Sans had and he handed him a jug of milk he was hiding behind his back. “Here, brother, try this.”

\----

Sans dropped his current water bottle which clattered to the floor, grabbing the jug with slightly shaky hands, drinking straight from the container. The effect was much more immediate and soothing, and Sans slowly lowered the jug, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He turned to put the remaining milk back in the fridge, closing the door. "so, we're not done with our revenge dance, i see," he said calmly. Turning back around to face his brother, his eye flared to life with magic. "i hope it was worth it." Clenching his fingers, he turned Papyrus's SOUL blue.

\----

“EEEP!” Collapsing to the ground, Papyrus struggled to stand back up. “I-It was! You prank me all the time, so the Great Papyrus decided to give you a taste of your own medicine! NYEH HEH HEH!”

\----

He closed his eyes with a lazy grin. "oh, it was a great prank, bro. by the way, that was another great pun right there." He chuckled, walking out of the kitchen, and as gently as he could, manipulated his brother's gravity to pick him up in a hover, dragging him along behind. He started up the stairs. "but now, instead of a bedtime story, i'm gonna tickle you to sleep."

\----

“Oh, for the love of — WAIT, WHAT?!” Previously frustrated over the unintentional pun, his sockets grew wide with his trademark comical bug-eyed expression, and he struggled as much as he could. “N-NO, BROTHER! DON'T!”

\----

Sans used his free hand to muffle a snicker, mindful not to lose his concentration, and pushed open his brother's room door. Flicking on the light, he carefully lowered Papyrus to his own bed, pinning him there while he walked over to his brother's closet. Finding a box inside, he rummaged through it and found a good amount of nylon rope, usually useful for rescues and traversing tricky terrain while on patrol. Once back at his brother's side, he clamored up onto his legs, tying them down to the bed as well as his ankles. "i don't like putting you in bone-dage, bro, but your reflexes are a little too extreme for me," he explained, climbing down and making his way to the head of the bed to attempt to do the same with Papyrus's arms and wrists. 

\----

“SANS, NO!” Now in full panic mode, Papyrus struggled and thrashed as hard as he could, yet Sans still somehow managed to tie him down. “PLEASE, THIS IS TAKING THINGS TOO FAR! DON'T DO THIS TO ME!”

\----

Seeing his brother's panic made Sans pause, not wanting him to feel truly threatened. He climbed back on top of Papyrus, resting his hands gingerly above his SOUL, communicating his care and reassurances directly through magic. "don't worry, bro, i'll be sure to be gentle with ya." He winked.

\----

He managed to calm down a bit, but he still looked very nervous. “W-Well.... If you say so, brother.... I trust you.... But I still don't like this too much.”

\----

Sans continued to magically convey his harmless intentions for a few more moments before making any moves. It wasn't exactly an intimate act, but monsters opening up their feelings was personal and held a certain vulnerability. He figured if he was going to put Papyrus in such a position, the least he could do was approximate an equal standing between them. He slowly moved his hands away and smiled gently.

"all right, if it really does get to be too much, i will stop. i promise." With that, he slipped a hand under Papyrus's chest-plate, feeling out a rib and sliding a finger along the inner side. "heheh, are these as ticklish as mine?"

\----

Papyrus squeaked and immediately yanked hard on his arms, but the ropes holding them up held fast. He started to squirm his torso around, giggling uncontrollably. “NYEHEHEHEHEHE! SAHAHAHANS! EHEHEHAHAHAHA!”

\----

His grin broadening, Sans lightly crooked his fingertips, slowly brushing them against as many ribs as he could at once. Since he could now very much empathize, he began to imagine just what might drive _him_ crazy and he gently grabbed a rib between finger and thumb as he had done to Papyrus's toes earlier, gingerly nudging and wiggling the bone before moving to another one and doing the same.

\----

Papyrus squealed and giggled hysterically as he bounced around on the bed, the new method of tickling obviously having a very big effect on him. “AHAHAHAHAHAHA! ST-STAHAHAHAP! TOO MUHUHUHUCH! NYEHEHEHEHE!”

\----

Sans eased off. "heh, all right." He turned around, drumming his fingers on Papyrus's knees. "what about here? seemed to make you pretty jumpy before." Experimentally, he gently scratched over the tops and prodded underneath.

\----

His giggling softened, but his twitching and kicking were still fairly strong. “NYEHEHEHEHE! EHEHEHEHAHAHAHA! D-DON'T THINK FOR A SEHEHECOND THAT YOU'RE G-GEHEHETTING AWAY WITH THIS, BROHOHOTHER!”

\----

"heheh ... i figured." Sans shrugged, though he found he wasn't as relaxed as he thought he might be after Papyrus confirmed he wasn't done either. He glanced back with a devious glint in his eyes. "hey, bro, don't go anywhere, huh?" He winked. With Papyrus physically bound, he decided it would be fine to let go of his SOUL — one less thing for them both to worry about.

Hopping down, he headed downstairs, grabbing one of the feathers before returning, showily twirling it in his fingers.

\----

Papyrus gulped and tensed up, staring with fear at the torturous tool. “D-Don't you even think about it, Sans! I-I mean it, Sans!”

\----

"oops, too late, already thought about it." Sans chuckled, sitting up by his brother's torso, petting the feather down his cheek and twirling it under his chin. "i'll give you a choice though. feet, ribs, or spine? if you don't choose, i'll tickle all three with this."

\----

Squeaking and gritting his teeth, Papyrus tried not to give in to laughter, thrashing his head from side to side in an attempt to escape the feather's agonizingly soft touch. “H-Hnnngh! C-Can't I choose n-none?! E-Eeeee...!”

\----

"choosing none is the same as not choosing at all, which means i get to tickle all of them." The smaller skeleton softly flitted the feather at Papyrus's neck, switching sides when his brother tried to block it. "is that what you really want?"

\----

“N-NO! Eeeeeehehe!....” He tried to roll his shoulders up to protect his neck. “F-Fine, tickle my ribs, they're the l-least ticklish of the three!”

\----

"oh, huh, did i not specify that you were choosing which spot of the three for me to leave alone?" He held his usual smile for as long as he could before breaking into snickers. "heheheh! nah, just kiddin', i'll be nice." Repositioning himself, he poked the feather up inside the armor, sweeping and dusting along the inner sides of the ribs that he was able to reach.

\----

At the little joke, Papyrus’ sockets widened in fear and betrayal, looking like he was about to scream something, but it quickly turned to relief when it turned into a fake out. He squealed and laughed loudly at the tickling as his torso twisted and bucked and jerked, yanking at his arm restraints the entire time. “AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT TIHIHIHICKLES MORE THAN I THOHOHOUGHT IT WOULD! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

\----

Papyrus's movements were starting to outmatch Sans's lethargic pace, but he didn't really want to add the stress of the blue magic back again. Instead, he simply twirled the feather in one spot, letting Papyrus's reflexes dance him into it.

\----

“YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH, GAHAHAHASH! EHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHA!” As much as he tried, he couldn't stop squirming, which caused only more ticklish distress for the poor skeleton. At this point, tears began falling down his bright orange cheeks and he let out the occasional squeaky snort.

\----

"okay, looks like you've had enough." Withdrawing the feather, Sans reached up, taking the loose end of his brother's scarf and patting his cheeks dry. "i'll let ya out now if we can agree on a truce, at least for tonight, huh? oh, and i wasn't serious about the bedtime story thing. i'll still read to you if you really want me to."

\----

Papyrus panted heavily, thankful for the tickling to be all over for the night, and he nodded slowly. “O-Okay. Just for tonight. But expect a rather rude awakening tomorrow morning, brother, for the truce will end then.” He shot Sans a mischievous smirk.

\----

"ghheh! ... if you say so, bro...." Sans very purposefully neglected to remind Papyrus of the lock on his bedroom door and how he was going to very much put it to use tonight. Still, the thought of being back on the other side of the tickling coin made him nervous, and it showed. Scooching down, he stopped at his brother's feet. "just gonna untie you down here, so don't freak out and kick me, okay?" He started on the knots, working them loose.

\----

“So long as you don't tickle me, I can guarantee you I won't. Thank you, brother.”

\----

Sans nodded, finishing up with his legs and doing the same for his arms. After picking out a book of Papyrus's choice and reading, he gave his brother an affectionate pat on the head and bid him goodnight, turning off the light and heading for his own room. He triple-checked his lock before collapsing on his mattress and getting comfortable.

~~~  
\----  
~~~

Papyrus woke up early, spending a few minutes getting ready for the day before gathering materials needed to get back at Sans. He knew his brother would have locked the door, so he used a hair pin to trick the lock — a trick that Undyne taught him in case he needed to get into a locked room right away — and opened the door to find his brother still asleep. Smirking, he went to work, using the same ropes from last night to tie Sans' limbs to each corner of the bed, but not before gently removing his jacket to better reach his ribs.

\----

Sans was used to being carried by his brother while he slept, so the handling didn't really faze him. He only briefly looked troubled with a soft mumble while Papyrus tied him up — flashes of yellow and tendrils of green and echoes of wicked laughter taunted the edges of his memory in his dreams.

\----

Once he’d finished, he gently lifted up Sans' shirt to expose his spine, then he removed his gloves before gliding a finger gently down it. “Wakey-wakey, brother~”

\----

Sans twitched with a shiver. "mmhm...~!" The slight pull on his taut limbs from his reflex combined with his brother's voice actually did more to rouse him. "...pap...?" Blearily opening his eyes, he blinked once before his situation caught up with him. "ghhn! wha—! how...!?" He jerked as he instinctively tried to sit up and panicked more when he couldn't. "p-pap, how'd you get in!?" He noticed his jacket had been discarded and felt an extra layer of vulnerability starting to creep over him. He met his brother's eyes nervously.

This was probably going to be a long morning.

\----

“Let's just say I have Undyne to thank. Now, as you know, the truce ended this morning, so now I shall enjoy my revenge. But worry not, for I will be just a gentle and considerate with you as you were with me last night. Only difference is I'll be using this instead of a feather.” He held up the electric toothbrush and turned it on with a mischievous, "Nyeh heh heh...."

\----

Sans's mind reeled, still trying to figure out how Papyrus managed to get past his lock and how Undyne was involved and about how he very much couldn't move, and — _No...!_ "hnn! oh gosh, not that thing!" He winced at the dreaded sound. He tried to latch onto Papyrus's soothing reassurance, but he hadn't found the toothbrush very gentle before and doubted he'd find it so now.

\----

“I shall give you the same choice you gave me: would you like to be tickled on your ribs or feet? And if you don't answer, I'll tickle both!”

\----

"gnnhnn...," Sans softly whined. Both would be excruciating, but it was still no contest. He didn't want it on his ribs again, he just couldn't take it. At least he only had ten toes as opposed to the twenty-four ribs. "feet...," he croaked, curling his toes.

\----

“Very well, ribs it is!” Papyrus lifted up Sans' shirt to expose his ribs and readied to tickle them with the toothbrush.

\----

"aaahh! nono, please!" Sans gripped the rope he was restrained by as if he could tug himself further up, but didn't move an inch, wide eyes locked on the brush. _Please be joking! Pleeeeease!_

\----

Papyrus let out a laugh as he pulled his shirt back down. “Kidding, kidding! But you should've seen the look on your face! I can tell why you pulled that same joke on me now! Nyehehehe!” He slid down to his legs and removed his socks.

\----

Sans breathed out a long, slightly trembling sigh of relief. "yeah ... yeah, it's a good one ... heh." He was surprised to find himself just a little more relaxed in spite of it all. Maybe it was the happiness Papyrus was radiating; he seemed to be having quite a lot of fun.

\----

“Let me know if you need a break and I'll stop. Perhaps we should use a safety word. Hmm... How about... Spaghetti! That shall be our super cool safety word from now on! Okay, are you ready to begin, brother?” Turning on the brush, he pulled back Sans’ toes on his right foot.

\----

"hey, that's ... actually a pretty good idea, bro." Sans chuckled genuinely at his choice for the word. "i guess i'm as ready as i'll ever be...." He was still anxious, and he tensed as Papyrus pried back his toes, but his trust in his brother finally overrode the deeper pangs of fear.

\----

“Very well! Witness the skills of Tickle Master Papyrus! NYEHEHEHE!” He began scrubbing up and down Sans' sole with the brush, buzzing it under his toes from time to time.

\----

Sans jolted. "oh, gaha—!" The vibration was just as horrible as he remembered, magnifying everything Papyrus did to tortuous levels. "hahahaaa! aaahahaahaa, i reheheally hahate thahat thiheheng! gnnahahahaaa!" Turning his head to the side, he tried to shake his toes free of his brother's grip, but Papyrus had too good a hold. "eehe! ahahahaaaa!"

\----

Papyrus couldn't help but giggle at Sans' attempts to squirm away as he brushed under and between his toes. “Nyehehe! Wowie, Sans, tickling you is fun!”

\----

Writhing and wriggling as much as he could, Sans broke into squeals as his toes took the focus. "aahaaiiieehehee~! eehehehahahaa! oho, gahahash, you enjoyhehe tohorturing meheheheee! i'm doohoomed!" He couldn't keep his foot still, even though Papyrus was doing a pretty good job of holding it in place, tugging and twitching.

\----

“No, I don't enjoy torturing you. But I do enjoy making you laugh! You can't sit there and tell me you're not having at least a little fun!” He pounced on Sans' other foot and scrubbed his sole, skittering his other hand's fingers under his toes as he pulled them back.

\----

Jumping at the switch, Sans's whole momentum shifted, curling the toes of his right foot and tugging on the left. "ahaaahahaa! kkgheheh!" The light toe tickling on top of everything had him shuddering. But most of all, confusion bubbled inside of him. It was torture, but ... he really did enjoy laughing. And he was quite fond of their shared sibling japery. And he hadn't resorted to the safe word yet. _Was he actually somewhat having fun with this?_ "ahehe...! ahehe dunno! hahahaa!"

\----

“So you are having fun! Wonderful! I'm so happy!” He began tickling under one set of toes with his hand and between the other set with the brush, grinning brightly with happiness all the while.

\----

Hearing his brother so pleased also made Sans happy. At the double assault on his toes, he threw his head back, lightly arching his spine with a squeaky squeal, trying to shake off the fingers and the brush that was wedged there. "eeeeeehehee~! pleeheheheheease! ihihit reheally tihickles, aaahahahaaaaa!" His feet soon found separate rhythms, the one under the finger's duress dancing while the one enduring the brush thrashed as the entire foot resonated with the vibration's tingles.

\----

“You seem to be handling one toothbrush fine, brother. Now let's see how you fare against two!” Whipping out another hidden toothbrush, he turned it on before using both to tickle all over Sans’ left foot's toes, making sure to tickle every last spot, using his knees to pin his foot in place so he couldn't squirm his foot away.

\----

"whahaha—!? nononohoho!" Digging his fingers into the ropes, Sans shook his head frantically. "aaaaahahahaa—! gahaa, thihis ihis juhust cruhuhuel...~!" The further restriction on his foot made it worse as the tingles from one brush collided with the other's without being able to physically express his stress for relief. Tears gathered and dripped from his sockets. "ahaaa~! noho mohore! breheheak! spahahaghehettii! plehehease! pleasepleheheeaseplease!"

\----

“Oops!” Papyrus stopped tickling and turned off the brushes. “Did I go too far? I'm sorry, Sans, I didn't mean it!”

\----

Sans slumped into a more relaxed position, still lightly clutching the ropes, breathing fast and heavy with closed eyes. "hh ... hff ... nah, y-you're fine, pap. it's just pretty intense, ya know? i'm not really used to that, heh." He opened his eyes, a few more tears spilling free, he gazed up at Papyrus with a gentle smile. "i just need a breather, that's all."

\----

“Oh, thank goodness... At first I thought I was actually torturing you. Well, I shall let you breathe, then I will let you go after a fun little challenge!”

\----

If it wasn't torture already, Sans was certain it had been bordering on the real thing. But he wasn't about to make Papyrus feel bad about it. Especially since he had known his brother would stop after their earlier agreement. "hh-heh ... ah, wait, a challenge? what kind of challenge?"

\----

“It's just a little challenge, don't worry. And if you don't want to, I won't force you. But my idea is that you would try to keep down your laughter for about two minutes as I tickled your feet and toes — not using any tools, only my fingers — and if you succeeded I'd let you go. But if you fail, I would lightly tickle your ribs for one minute and then let you go. Well?” He grinned brightly, obviously hoping Sans would accept.

\----

Seeing his brother's enthusiasm about the idea, Sans knew there was no way he'd decline. The punishment didn't sound too severe if he lost either. "heheh, sounds difficult, but i'll try." He lightly nodded his agreement, his breathing starting to slow and quiet.

\----

“Thank you so much, brother!” He hugged Sans tightly and nuzzled him a bit in affection. “So, ready to begin? I'll start off slow at first, but it'll get a bit more challenging as time goes on.”

\----

Sans instinctively tried to hug him back, but was once again reminded of his immobility. Instead, he nuzzled back with arched eyes. "anything for you, bro." With a large, steadying breath, he braced himself. "okay, i understand. i think i'm ready."

\----

“Okay! Let's begin!” Kneeling down at his feet, Papyrus began to slowly glide his fingers up and down his soles and arches.

\----

Sans flinched at the soft touch and shivered, he concentrated on keeping quiet. Unexpectedly, a rising sense of hilarity welled up inside him and he snorted. "pffft — hahaa, wahait! gh, sohorry! i'm sorry! thinking about not laughing is making me want to laugh more! c-can we start over? i ... i think i got it out of my system now...." He smiled sheepishly.

\----

Papyrus giggled at his brother's reaction. “N-Nyehehehe! Sure, but that's the only freebie you get. Okay, let's try this again.” After giving Sans a few seconds to mentally prepare himself, he resumed the soft sole tickling.

\----

Calming down, Sans took measured breaths. His breathing slightly hitched when Papyrus resumed, but he managed to keep it even, flexing and lightly wiggling his toes. He couldn't help smiling a little more broadly.

\----

Papyrus chuckled before lightly skittering under his wiggling toes. “Tickle tickle tickle, brother~ Remember, no laughing~”

\----

"ghnn—! n-not the t-teasing...!" Sans lamented, turning his head to the side, a little more stress showing in his expression. His toes curled. It was already getting hard to suppress himself, but he was determined to last as long as he could.

\----

Papyrus pulled his toes back and wiggled his fingers between them, giggling all the while. “Hehehehe! Coochie-coochie-coo! You laugh just like a baby bones! You have such cutesie-wootsie tiny ticklish feet, Sans! Nyehehe!”

\----

"kknnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnhh~!" Sans whined at a high pitch. "you...! d-don't ha—! hafta r-remind meeee!" He tried to swallow down the giggles that were waiting for their chance to escape, tossing his head and tugging on his ankles. Papyrus's cooing voice combined with the toe tickles made him squirm.

\----

“And what about here, brother? Hehehe!” He began tickling the tips of his toes and the tops of his feet, making sure his ankles and sides of his feet got some attention as well.

\----

"aaee—~!" Sans squeaked. His feet twitched rather violently at the exploration and his breaths came out in shaking shudders. "hhhh-hn! hh—! h-hhn-hhh—! ghh!" He knew he wouldn't be able to last any longer and gulped down air to hold his breath.

\----

“What's wrong, Sans? Too ticklish? Well, worry not, you just have one minute remaining! Kitchy-kitchy-kitchy!” He gently gripped his toes between his index fingers and thumbs, wiggling and squeezing them ticklishly.

\----

Another whole minute? Sans couldn't do it, the unspent giggles were already making him feel like he would explode. He finally burst. "gahahaaaaa~! eehe, you wihihin! yehes, i'm too tihicklish! aaaahaaaha! kkheheh!" He knew this meant more tickling, but he was still a bit relieved, even though the toe tickling had amped up again, at least he could vent about it. Perhaps if Papyrus wanted to challenge him again in the future he would work on finding a different technique to hold in his laughter.

\----

“Yes! The Great Papyrus wins again! Which means it's time for the penalty!” Ecstasy practically radiating off of him in waves, he leapt to Sans' torso and rolled up his shirt. “To be honest, I love tickling your ribs the most, but I know how sensitive they are so I try to refrain myself from doing so. But now that I can, I'm going to have lots of fun!”

\----

Sans lightly panted and shifted nervously underneath him, the cool air on his ribs making him a little anxious. "well, i do appreciate your self-control, bro, heh." He glanced away for a moment. "but i guess it makes me happier knowing it's something you enjoy." Looking up, he admitted, "i'm just glad you didn't make it be the brushes." His eyes suddenly widened. "i-it's not the brushes, right?"

\----

“Of course not, brother, I wouldn't want to overwhelm you. I'll just be using my fingers. But I will pull that little sneaky trick you pulled on me last night. How did it go again? Was it something like this?” He gently gripped a lower rib in his fingers and gently squeezed and wiggled it the same way Sans had done to him.

\----

Sans barely had time to feel relief before he squeaked out a shrill gasp. "ggheeheeh~! oh noho! noho plehease~! eheeheeheeee, stahahaaap! stahap!" It was devastatingly worse than he had imagined, feeling just about as torturous as the brush's vibrating anyway. How did such a gentle grip tickle so much!? "whyhehe do i keeheheep gihiving you ideheas you cahahaan use agahahainst meheheeheee!?"

\----

“That's what I want to know! Hahahaha!” Papyrus grinned, his sockets glinting with mischief as he inhaled and blew a large raspberry right in the middle of his ribs.

\----

Sans thrashed with a surprised squeal, magic briefly flaring as he lost coherent thought for a second. "aaaaaaheeehehehe—~! oh gahahash, whahat ahare you dohoing to mehehe!? whahat ihis thaahahaaat!?" Even his magic seemed to be tingling now and it was unbearable. "ahaaaaa ... d-don't do ihit agaiiiin!"

\----

Papyrus hunched over in laughter. “NYEHEHEHEHE! S-Sorry, Sans, I couldn't resist! Okay, okay, I'll be much gentler from now on.” He resumed his gentle tickles, gliding his fingers up and down the sides of his ribs and wiggling them in between each rib.

\----

Sans gave him a wheezy sound of acknowledgement which turned into another squeak as he felt the fingers back on him. "gheheheee—! aahaha~! kkh~hahahaaahaa! y-you're too goohood ahahat this! ahahaaa—!" Writhing, he squinted to look up at Papyrus, taking comfort in the fact that his brother was having fun and not just being cruel.

\----

“Well, of course I am, I'm naturally good at everything!”

All of a sudden, the bedroom door slammed open, taking both brothers by dead surprise, and they looked to see Undyne standing there.

“HEY, PAPYRUS! Why the heck haven't you been answering your phone?! I've been calling for about half an hour because you're late for training and—” She cut herself off when she noticed what was going on. “Uhhhhh….”

“H-HOW DID YOU GET INTO OUR HOUSE?!” Papyrus nearly fell off the bed in utter shock.

\----

Sans couldn't strip his gaze away from the captain, his bones feeling like lead. Embarrassment filled him and his cheeks flushed blue. This probably looked incredibly indecent. Even if they told her the truth about what they were doing, it would probably sound like a lie to cover up something unthinkable. He desperately wished he could hide his face.

\----

Undyne’s facial expression suddenly turned to one of anger. “Papyrus....”

“I-It's not what it looks like, I swear!” His cheeks flushed a bright orange.

“Oh, it isn't, is it? Exposed ribcage, bare feet, toothbrushes on the bed, fingers dangerously close to the ribs.... I SO want in on that!” She grinned widely, her good eye glistening with mischief, as she leaped forward and dug her fish claws into Sans' ribs, tickling him fiercely.

\----

Sans didn't know what shocked him more — the fact that she read the situation so accurately, or the physical shock of her fingers scratching and scrabbling over his ribs. "gghah—! ahahahahahaaa! oh, gahaha—! hehelp! pahahapyrus, hehehelp meheheeeee!" No wonder Papyrus was so good, if he'd learned from her. He tugged on his arms helplessly, pounding his head lightly against the bed. The mortification hadn't completely drained away, but he was glad she hadn't jumped to darker conclusions.

\----

“Undyne, stop, you're torturing him!”

“Well, duh! That's what you were doing!”

“No, I wasn't! I was playing with him! You're torturing him, he doesn't like it!”

“Ohhh. ...Eh, too bad for him!” Undyne only increased her tickling speed. “FUHUHUHU!”

\----

Twisting left and right, Sans's laughter was punctuated with gasps. Anxiety resurfaced and blazed through him. Undyne wouldn't stop, and well, if she was going to play rough, then so was he. Clenching his hand into a tight fist his magic sparked, turning her SOUL blue. He couldn't thrust his hand away from himself, but he gave his wrist a dramatic jerk, hoping it would be enough to at least unseat her.

\----

“WHOA!” The jerk was enough to fling her off balance and cause her to fall off the bed. “OUCH!”

“That's ... kinda what you get for not heeding my warning....” Papyrus grinned sympathetically before turning to his brother. “Sans, are you okay? I'm sorry, I tried to help....”

\----

"hh ... hff ... hnn ... i'm ... i'm, uh...." Sans looked between the two of them dizzily, giving his head a slight shake. Then he froze. "oh, gosh, i'm sorry, captain!" Looking up at Papyrus, he answered, "i'm okay, really, thanks, pap." Sinking his head back down, he gave a long sigh of both exhaustion and exasperation, trembling with a hint of nerves.

\----

Undyne stood back up, rubbing the back of her head. “Ow.... You've got some nerve doing that to me, you!”

“Well, to be fair, it was an act of self-defense as you were pretty much torturing him.”

“Huh. Yeah, I guess you're right! My bad! Fuhuhu!”

\----

"so, uh ... since you're here, captain, do you want to stay for breakfast?" Sans asked, not bothering to keep his sockets open. "i don't think papyrus has had any yet, and he shouldn't train on an empty stomach. y'know, if skeletons had st—!" He stopped himself, remembering that today was technically the start of his pun free week. "ghh, i mean, i just think he should eat."

\----

“Hey, great idea, Sans! I can see how far he's come along in his cooking! Maybe even I can help! I'll go get things started!” Undyne rushed back downstairs.

“ ...Well, that just happened.”

\----

"oh gosssh...," Sans quietly moaned when Undyne was out of the room. "is that what she puts you through all the time? geeze!" Finally calmed down enough to breathe normally, he went on, "wow, i barely woke up, and i just want to get back to bed, heh."

\----

“Yes, I do go through that quite a lot, more often than I'd like.... But she's my boss, so I can't really say no to her. And I understand, being tickled does take a lot out of you, even me!” He began to untie him. “Oh. And, uh.... Don't worry about the whole no puns for a week thing, okay? If anything, just don't make so many.”

\----

Sitting up and gently rubbing his wrists and ankles as they were released, Sans gazed up at Papyrus with a growing, happy smile, sockets sparkling. "really bro? that means a _pun_ to me!" He quickly became overcome by delirious chuckles.

\----

Papyrus let out a long sigh before looking down at Sans with a tired yet affectionate smile. “I'm not sure yet if I will regret this or not, but so long as you're happy I suppose I am, too.”

\----

Sans shuffled up to him, wrapping his arms around his brother's middle and leaning in to hug him. "thanks for ... y'know, not going overboard on me. i ... i guess i was sorta having a good time. but anything with you is great." Withdrawing, he dangled his legs off the edge of his bed, looking down and sliding his feet back into his slippers. "we shouldn't keep captain undyne waiting."

\----

“You're right! If we keep her waiting she'll burn our house down, too! She already did the same to her house last month!” He scooped up Sans in his arms, but not before grabbing his hoodie off the floor, and trotted downstairs. “And I'm really glad you had fun, Sans. Perhaps we should have tickle fights more often!”

\----

Clinging to him, Sans quietly chuckled. "sure thing, bro. after all, it's your turn next, huh?" He grinned a bit mischievously. "hey, maybe we can try to train the captain not to be so rough on you?"

\----

He grinned and chuckled a bit nervously, both at the playful threat and rather dangerous idea. “While that is a very good and likable idea, I don't know if we'd be able to pull it off, or at least get away with it. You know how strong she is, and once she gets the chance to retaliate....” He shuddered a bit. “I can only imagine how merciless she'd be....”

\----

"heheh, yeah, you're probably right. plus, she'd probably kill me if i ended up throwing her again," he said a bit nervously.

\----

“Kill you, no. Wish she'd kill you once she's done with you, perhaps.” He chuckled nervously.

\----

"ghh ... geeze!" Sans buried his face in Papyrus's scarf. He was probably very lucky to get away with what he did, he didn't want to think about it too much. Still, he felt extra sympathetic for Papyrus and hoped that his brother might get a break today.

\----

“Anyway, we should get going. If we keep her waiting too long she might punish us, or at least me. You can go back upstairs and sleep if you'd like.” He placed Sans back down and rushed to the kitchen.

\----

Sans nodded gratefully. He really did feel quite worn out and if Papyrus was going to actually let him sleep in, he should probably take advantage of it. Suddenly he realized he was still missing his hoodie, Papyrus must have taken it with him in his haste. It wasn't like he needed it to sleep, but it would still be a great comfort after everything. Gently clutching his arms around himself, he followed after his brother to the kitchen.

\----

Just as Sans was about to walk in, a clatter of pots and pans erupted, and after rushing in he saw Undyne pinning Papyrus down, grinning that big toothy grin as she twisted an arm behind his back.

“NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN, SOLDIER! FUHUHUHU!”

“OWOWOW! UNDYNE, I THOUGHT WE WERE COOKING, NOT TUSSLING!” he shouted as he slapped his free hand against the ground, trying to tap out.

\----

Sans hung onto the doorway, watching in a bit of distress. It was probably a normal occurrence between them, and obviously training to be in the Royal Guard would involve a sense of severity, but he still didn't like to see or hear his brother in pain. Casually strolling up to them as close as he dared, he ventured, "i know you guys are _wrestling_ up an appetite, but i'm, uh, starving. papyrus kinda gave me a big workout, after all." Honestly, he was more tired than hungry at the moment, but he'd push through it if he could give his brother some relief.

\----

“Pfft, yeah, that's exactly what we're doing! Don't worry, Sans, we're just playing around as the water boiled! Right, buddy?” She let Papyrus up.

Papyrus fell limp, groaning a bit. “Whatever you say, Cap.... Thanks for saving me, Sans....”

\----

"oh good," Sans answered, with a quieter, "no prob, bro." Leaning back against the wall he looked between the two, suddenly struck with a thought. "so, papyrus, were you ever gonna tell me how you got in my room? my lock's not broken, right? and how _did_ you get into the house, captain? uh, not that you're not welcome of course."

\----

Coincidentally, they both responded with the same answer at the same time. “I used a hair pin to trick the lock!” They looked at each other in shock.

\----

Noticing that his glass from last night hadn't yet been put away in all the excitement, Sans walked over and grabbed it, starting to fill it up from the sink. "oh great, i guess i'll have to invest in smarter locks that aren't so easily fooled," he joked, turning off the faucet and taking a sip. The water was wonderfully cool and perked him up a little. Setting the cup back on the counter, he faced Papyrus with a smile. "i guess i'll take my jacket now, heh. thanks for holding onto it for me, pap."

\----

Papyrus folded his arms and glared at Sans in annoyance. “After that little remark? I don't think so.”

“Oh, shoot! He's serious now!”

\----

Sans stiffened in slight shock, smile slightly falling before he recovered it back, hoping he looked apologetic. "oh, c'mon, pap. you said it's okay to joke around a little, right?" His arms found their way subconsciously around his ribs, and he chuckled nervously. "it's really hard to resist when you set me up for some good puns."

\----

Noticing Sans' arm movement, a sly grin stretched across Papyrus’ face. “You know, Sans.... I was thinking about just letting you off with just a little lecture, but you just gave me a much better idea.”

Undyne caught on almost immediately and grinned excitedly. “Aw, man, this is gonna be good!”

\----

Staggering back, Sans stammered, "y-ya know, i'm not a-actually that hungry. i'm just gonna get back to bed." Quickly turning, he started for the doorway.

\----

Suddenly, his SOUL turned green and he was stuck in place.

“Where do you think you're going, punk? There's no way I'm gonna miss out on this!”

“Wowie, thanks, Undyne!” Papyrus smirked as he began to advance on Sans.

\----

"ghk—!" Sans grabbed the fabric of his shirt above his SOUL, much less used to Undyne's magic than his brother's. Instead of being held in place by gravity, the green magic was extremely compulsive, forcing him to stand his ground. He could move in place, but only just enough to face or turn from exactly what was in front of him, almost like a test of courage.

Undyne's will was strong — he could feel it radiating through his magic, and he knew he wouldn't be able to even teleport if he tried while she kept him restricted. He turned to face Papyrus again, hands up to his chest, palms open in surrender. "wa-wait, bro, you already got me back pretty good this morning, d-doncha think?"

\----

“PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED! NYEH HEH HEH!” Launching himself at Sans, Papyrus grabbed him tightly ... then slipped his jacket onto him. “There you go, brother! Told you it would be unexpected! Nyehehehe!”

“Really? I used my powers on him just so you could put on his jacket for him?” Undyne pulled a very disappointed deadpan expression.

\----

"aaahh!" Sans shrank in on himself, eyes closed and braced for impact. When he felt his jacket around him, he peeked at himself and then at the two monsters in front of him, still quivering. "ghuhhh ... geeze...." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he gave Papyrus a meaningful look. "y'know, these pranks are gonna catch up with ya when we get to your turn again...."

\----

“Now you know exactly how I feel about your puns, brother. Okay, Undyne, you can let him go now.”

“Aw, man! I was totally expecting some kind of epic brother fight or somethin'!” Grumbling, she subsided her spell on Sans' SOUL.

\----

Feeling his SOUL return to normal, his expression slid back into an easy-going grin and Sans sighed. "heh, yeah, you sure had me _rattled_ there, bro." He winked with a cheeky smirk, stepped out from the kitchen and around the corner, and teleported straight to his bed.

\----

“SANS! Ugh….”

“Hey, don't let him get to you. Let's just finish that breakfast so we can train already!”

“Alrighty, then!”

\----

Sans chuckled into his hand, hearing the yell from downstairs. Figuring Papyrus wouldn't let Undyne out of sight and possibly burn the house down, he stashed the ropes and brushes away for later use and curled up for a nap. He nestled happily into his hoodie.


	3. Day Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Undyne

“Get ready, here comes the next wave!” Undyne had decided on brushing up on Papyrus' blocking skills, turning his SOUL green to keep him in place as she flung spear after spear at him.

Gripping his bone club tightly, Papyrus began swinging and twirling it to block each attack, shouting with each swing to add to his power; it was quite an impressive sight.

\----

Refreshed after having rested up — and actually resting again at his morning sentry shift instead of only appearing that he was — Sans teleported to Waterfall. His next job was there, but he wanted to drop by to see his brother anyway. He had an idea — one that could possibly backfire and make Papyrus hate him forever, but he hoped that it would help him in the long run.

Hearing the faint sound of a Spooktune echoing in the cavern from one of the local ghost houses, he knew he'd landed close, and took the path up to Undyne's home.

As he approached, he slowed, watching his brother blocking everything that came at him with expert precision. His brother was so cool! Walking up to Undyne, he nodded at her respectfully, waiting for their round to finish. Undyne wasn't directly his boss like she was to Papyrus, but as a sentry, he was still subject to her command while on duty.

\----

Undyne nodded back to Sans before calling out to Papyrus, “Okay, punk! Block this and we'll take ten!” Summoning many spears around Papyrus, she fired.

Panting heavily and looking about ready to collapse at this point, Papyrus still managed to use one last burst of energy to uproot magical bones from the ground, forming a circle around him and blocking the spears. They dissolved and he collapsed to the ground panted heavily as Undyne subsided her spell on his SOUL.

“Great job, Papyrus! You deserve a break! Go inside and get some water!” As Papyrus climbed to his feet and stumbled towards her house, Undyne turned to Sans. “What's up, Sans? Wait, don't tell me, you were napping at your sentry post again and are ready to do the same thing at your Waterfall post.”

\----

"dang, ya caught me," Sans responded casually, winking up at Undyne with a grin. "actually, i wanted to try something with you involving papyrus. i know you were disappointed earlier that you didn't get to see an, uh, epic bro fight, but maybe this'll make up for it." As they'd briefly discussed, even if both he and Papyrus teamed up against the Captain, it was sure not to end well for either of them. But maybe, if he subtly taught Undyne how to tickle his brother in a more tolerable manner, it might save him a little grief.

\----

“Hmm ... I'm listening.”

Papyrus began to chug down the water he got for himself, so fast in fact that some of it spilled out through his ribcage, causing it to trickle through his battle body and getting his shorts wet. Yelping in alarm, he tried using his scarf to clean the mess, but with little success.

\----

"well, pap told me that sometimes you guys have tickle fights as a part of training. it's, uh, kinda part of the reason you found us how you did this morning." Sans briefly glanced away, cheeks lightly coloring at the recollection. "but, uh, anyway, i was thinking i might show you a few techniques on him. if you're interested, that is."

He looked toward the house, hoping that his plan wouldn't make things worse.

\----

“Hell yeah, I'm interested! And.... Well, it's not always to train him. Er.... You can keep secrets, right?”

Papyrus grunted in frustration as his scarf wasn't doing anything to fix the problem, and he grabbed a hand towel to use to clean himself up. It was wrapped around the handle of a pot full of water, however, and as he yanked on the towel the pot crashed to the ground, spilling water everywhere. “OH, NO!”

\----

Well this was unexpected. Sans leaned in a little closer, now intensely curious what she had meant. And Sans was practically made of secrets, so there was no hesitation when he answered, "of course i can, captain. in fact, i can take secrets to the _grave_ , heh."

\----

“I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that.... Anyway, I don't want you to tell anyone else this, but.... Well, let's just say Alphys has made me go a bit ... soft. I like training with Papyrus, yes, but other times I do it just to play with him and spend time with him. He's ... well ... he's kinda like a little brother to me, too, and I like to think I'm like his big sister.” She blushed a bit as she grinned sheepishly.

\----

Sans could feel his smile growing at every word, bringing up curled fingers to his mouth, eyes slightly shimmering. _That is so adorable!_ He knew how much Papyrus cherished spending time with Undyne and that they were pretty close, but hearing the Captain admit just how much she cared about his brother elated him. "well then, we should get to it! i have so many older sibling techniques to share with you!" Straightening up a bit, he cleared his throat. "and don't worry. i'll keep your secret."

\----

“Thanks, Sans, I appreciate it. Now let's get started!”

Papyrus rushed around the house to grab as many towels as he could to clean up the giant spill. “Ohhh, if Undyne sees this she's going to FREAK!”

\----

Sans nodded eagerly, heading for the house. Opening the door, his eyes locked onto Papyrus hovering over the watery mess, his anxiety obvious. "pap...? what happened? you okay?" he asked in concern, making space to allow room for Undyne to follow him inside.

\----

He yelped quickly before summoning a large wall of bones to hide the large mess. “HELLO THERE, UNDYNE AND SANS! WHAT A SURPRISE SEEING YOU TWO HERE!”

“Uhhh.... What's with the wall of bones and the loud, anxious voice?”

“WHAT WALL OF BONES? I SEE NO WALL OF BONES! AND I'M NOT ANXIOUS! NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST! NOPE, NOT ME! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE ME ANXIOUS AT A TIME LIKE THIS BESIDES SPILLING A LARGE POT OF WATER ON THE FLOOR WHICH I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT DO? NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!....” Papyrus laughed loudly, beads of nervous sweat rolling down his forehead.

\----

Sans's worry melted and he stifled a chuckle into his hand. He doubted Undyne would care about a little spilled water, especially considering her floor was linoleum. He was about to give a gentle reassurance, when he glanced at the large fish warrior, his grin growing a bit devious. "oh, well, that's good, 'cause i hear the penalty for that kinda thing is a little extreme."

\----

Undyne grinned evilly as she crossed her arms in satisfaction. “Yeah, that's right. Anyone who spills my water gets themselves tickled, and anyone who lies about not spilling it gets tickled for twice as long.”

Papyrus gulped before laughing nervously. “Nyeh heh heh.... I-Is that so?.... Well ... I NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM!” He made a break for the window.

\----

Sans shot out his hand, grabbing Papyrus's SOUL with his magic, casually dragging his brother a bit closer to himself. "what's the hurry, bro?" Walking around the bone obstruction, he indicated the spill. "ya know, running from the scene of the crime gets ya tickled _thrice_ as long...." Languidly swishing his hand, he very gently pushed Papyrus into Undyne's arms. "i'm afraid we've got a criminal on our hands, captain."

\----

“So we do....” She grinned widely as she grabbed Papyrus' arms and holds them up.

“W-WAIT! I CAN EXPLAIN! YOU SEE, I WAS DRINKING WATER BUT I DRANK IT TOO FAST AND SOME WATER LEAKED THROUGH MY RIBS AND I MADE A BIT OF A MESS SO I TRIED TO USE MY SCARF TO CLEAN MYSELF UP BUT IT WASN'T WORKING SO I GRABBED A HAND TOWEL INSTEAD BUT THAT'S WHEN THE POT OF WATER SPILLED AND I WAS TRYING TO CLEAN IT UP BUT THEN YOU TWO CAME IN AND I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO GET ANGRY AT ME AND _PLEASE DON'T TICKLE MEEEEE!!_ ”

\----

Sans was starting to feel a bit guilty for actively encouraging Papyrus into his wound-up state. Part of him ached to tell him everything was going to be okay — to feed his true feelings into his magic and attempt to soothe him with it as he had done the night before. But he wouldn't do that with Undyne there, and he was actually uncertain if he could promise that everything would be okay.

"drinking too fast, bro? a classic skeleton mistake." He knew from experience how unpleasant that could be. Stepping up to his brother, he showily readied a hand, grinning up at Papyrus for a measured moment before slipping it under his chest-plate and giving a purposeful, swift swipe to one of his brother's inner ribs. Pulling his hand out, he inspected his finger, seeing that the bony, white digit glistened with moisture. "looks like that might've been the case. buuuuut, i'm afraid you're still gonna hafta be punished." He clawed and wiggled his fingers in a playfully threatening manner.

\----

Papyrus gulped nervously. “P-Please be gentle at least....”

“Yeah, as if your brother would ever try to hurt you.”

\----

Expression softening, Sans felt his SOUL pang at his brother's entreaty. If only Papyrus knew that was exactly why he was going to subject him to this.

"oh, you want me to be gentle, huh?" He delicately placed his fingertips on either side of Papyrus's spine, gingerly pressing and poking and prodding in the most teasing way he could manage. "i can do gentle. are you sure that's what you want?"

\----

He squeaked and squirmed around, giggling uncontrollably. “S-SAHAHAHANS, NOT THE SPINE! EHEHEHEHEHE!” He struggled to pull down his arms.

“Oh, no, ya don't!” Undyne kept his arms above his head with a laugh.

\----

Papyrus's laughter had an instant effect on Sans, lifting his mood considerably. "heh, sorry bro, it's the easiest place for me to reach. that won't get me kicked, anyway. probably." He grinned, lightly spidering the fingers of one hand up along the left side of his spine and daintily stroking down the right side with his other hand, then switching up the tactics for both sides. Glancing up at Undyne, he winked. "take notes."

\----

“NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA! EHEHEHEHEHE! IT-IT'S SO TIHIHIHICKLISH!” He began kicking out his legs, trying his best to avoid kicking Sans as he squirmed and snaked his backbone around.

Grinning, Undyne held his arms up with one hand as she used the other to text notes into her cell phone.

\----

Sans was almost too amused that Undyne was taking actual notes to continue, but he managed to channel it into a devious chuckle. "oh, what's the matter, huh? is it not gentle enough for ya, little bro?" Lightening his touch even more, he slowly, agonizingly ghosted his fingers over and between vertebrae, brushing his thumbs along the grooves of his spine. "kitchy kitchy! dozzit tickle, huh? tickle tickle tickle!"

\----

Papyrus fell into a fit of light, airy giggles and squeals, occasionally falling into silent laughter every so often. “P-Plehehehease!.... Eheheheheeee!.... N-No teheheasing at leheheast!....”

\----

Sans felt so torn. He wanted to keep hearing Papyrus's adorable giggling, but he didn't want his brother to suffer. He figured he'd put on enough of a show for Undyne to demonstrate the gentler tickling method was pretty effective against his brother, but he was really enjoying this. Realizing he ultimately cared more about Papyrus's feelings, he decided he'd leave it up to him. "only if you honestly answer a question for me, bro. are you having any fun?"

\----

Panting heavily, Papyrus fell limp. “W-Well.... Um.... A little?.... I mean, I know I'd be safe around you, Sans, but....” He glanced nervously at Undyne, only to find her texting down notes. “What are you doing?”

“Taking down notes. Sans is teaching me how to properly tickle you.” Undyne absently answered. Realizing what she said, she stiffened. “...Oops.”

“SANS, YOU'RE DOING WHAT?!”

\----

Sans lightly jolted, "er, uh...." Eyes briefly darting , he fiddled with his own fingers. "well, yeah." He looked up with a sheepish grin.

This whole thing would probably come back to bite him, Sans realized. But ... if Papyrus was even having a sliver of fun, he was going to capitalize on it. "after all, who knows better how to drive you crazy than me, huh?" He placed a fingertip on the right side of his brother's spine, softly and mercilessly twisting and drilling it against him.

\----

He yelped and giggled as he tried to twist away, trying to sound serious but failing miserably through his high-pitched, goofy laughter. “S-SAHAHAHANS! NYEHEHEHAHAHAHA! I-I'M GONNA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

\----

Sans quietly giggled, following his brother's movements as best he could. "whassat, pap? i can't hear you over all that laughing~!" Withdrawing the solitary finger, he rebounded with all ten, scuttling up and down, rapidly and lightly.

\----

“WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAHAP! AHAHAHAHAHA! T-TOO MUHUHUHUCH!” He broke out into massive struggles, trying desperately to lower his arms, but Undyne was too strong.

\----

Sans halted immediately, pulling his hands back. "all right, okay, that's probably enough for now." Hoping he hadn't pushed too much, he gazed up at Papyrus searchingly. "did i go too far bro? you okay?"

\----

Papyrus huffed loudly and blinks tear buds out of his eyes. “Y-Yes.... I believe so....”

“Fuhuhu! That was hilarious! Man, I'm learning so much! ...Oh, crap, I did it again. My bad!” She grinned apologetically.

Papyrus glared intensely at Sans and growled softly, obviously not happy with him.

\----

Sans quailed under his brother's glare, and he broke eye contact, looking down. "i-i'm sorry, papyrus, maybe i was having a little too much fun with this...." Fully relaxing his hand, he dispelled his magic, nervously waiting for whatever consequences might follow.

\----

Papyrus stayed silent for a few moments, then he shot Sans a devious smirk before looking up at Undyne. “Hey, Undyne. Sans taught you the best ways to tickle me. Why don't I teach you the best ways to tickle him?”

“DUDE, YEAH!” She instantly let go of Papyrus before trapping Sans in place with her green magic, preventing him from escape.

\----

Sans barely flinched this time as the green magic overtook him. He knew he deserved this. Perhaps if Papyrus got his payback, he wouldn't be as upset with him. But that didn't stop him from trembling in place with wide, pleading eyes. "...b-be gentle...?"

\----

“Hey, Undyne. You know how Sans' ribs are his ultimate sweet spot?” Papyrus chuckled, dodging his older brother’s feeble request.

“Now I do. What about it?”

“Well, what if I showed you the sweetest spot on his ribs that drives him insane?” He grinned evilly at Sans.

“Dude, that's so cruel! SHOW ME!”

\----

Sans drew his arms up around his ribs so fast, he'd barely realized he'd done it. Pressing his hoodie against himself as if it could actually shield him, he shook his head frantically. "oh gosh, pap, no! n-no, don't do this!" He involuntarily squeaked in his growing panic. "anywhere but my ribs!"

\----

“You tickled my spine, so I get to tickle your ribs. Undyne, can you hold his arms up?”

“Sure thing!” She helds Sans' arms above his head, exposing his torso.

\----

Fair was fair, but that didn't mean Sans was happy about it. There was no use in fighting off Undyne's hands, so he saved his energy. "hey, at least i keep my weak spots covered. maybe i should get a battle body of my own." He watched Papyrus tensely, feeling extra vulnerable knowing that the monster that held him would be drinking in every bit of this.

\----

“There aren't cool clothes large enough to cover my spine, Sans, and you know it. Now, Undyne, here's his sweetest spot: it's on the back of his ribs in these little dips between the ribs and spine. If you tickle soft enough, it REALLY drives him crazy! It works best if you have a soft tickle tool like a feather or a toothbrush. Too bad I don't have any on me.”

“I got an electric toothbrush in my bathroom! You can use that!”

“Good idea! Be right back!” He rushed into her bathroom.

\----

Sans squirmed as Papyrus described the spot, cheeks lit in a vibrant blue hue. Just the idea gave him shivers, and, worse still, it was actually going to happen, and he literally couldn't do a thing about it. "aaha, noho...!"

At Undyne's words his eyes snapped open and he became very still. "ghh—! no! nononononono! papyrus, pleeeeease!" he cried out, watching his brother disappear into the other room.

\----

Papyrus returned a few moments later with Undyne's toothbrush. “Got it!”

“Alright! Now show me the best way to tickle this punk!”

He knelt down behind Sans and lifted up his jacket and shirt to reveal the back of his ribs, gliding an index finger down each dip between the ribs and spine as he spoke. “These are the sweet spots here.”

\----

Sans outright whimpered as his back was exposed, then he jerked with a sharp, shrill whine at the light touch. Already reflexively trying to bend away, he begged, "p-papyrus ... i-if you h-have to use the brush ... just ... don't turn it on, o-okay? please?" It was going to be torture enough already, he wasn't sure if he could survive the effect of the vibrations.

\----

“Not unless I do this: Papyrus, as your captain I command you to, for a very short period of time, use the toothbrush on Sans' sweet spot turned on. After that, don't use it at all, just use your fingers.”

Papyrus shrugged as he turned on the toothbrush. “Sorry, brother, but I can't really ignore her if she gives a command. It won't be for long, though, I promise.” He almost instantly felt guilty and sorry for his poor brother as he scrubbed the vibrating toothbrush lightly along his sweet spot.

\----

Sans whined in distress, a look of suffering etched on his face before it had even really begun. And when it did, he shrieked. He didn't even know he could make a sound like that, but there it was, and it was mortifying.

"eeeeeeeeeheheeeeee, gaha—! ple-pleeeehehehee—! pleehehease, staaaaaaaaa—! st-stahahahaahap, ahahahahhaaaaaaa! ahehe cahahan't—! i caaaaaaaaahahahaaan't—! hahaahaaaaaa, noho, pleheheheeease! aaaaaaaaaaaaha—!"

Every second of it was intolerable ticklish agony that had him thrashing as much as he could, the vibrating sensation burrowing even farther into the sweet spots that even the bristles couldn't reach and spreading out to a gentle, but maddening tingle all the way at the front of his ribcage.

\----

“Oh, wowie, Sans! I didn't know you could squeal like that!” Mesmerized by Sans' adorable and hilarious laughter, he didn't think to stop, and instead just scrubbed faster.

“Fuhuhu! That's hilarious!”

\----

The faster pace shook him up a little more, though if the brush hadn't been on, a slower, methodical speed would likely devastate him more. As it was, his entire spine felt like it was being shocked — just ticklishly.

"aaaaaahahahaaa...—! naahahahaa...~! pl...! hahahahaaa~aaaaahahaa!" He absolutely couldn't take anymore, and it seemed he couldn't muster enough energy to form words any longer, either, only able to laugh. He desperately tried to use their safeword. "spaha-spaaaahaaahaa—! gheheheh...! aahaaaaaa....—!" It wouldn't come out, and that just made his panic all the greater.

\----

Papyrus recognized Sans trying to use the safe word, and he gasped loudly as he stopped. “OH, NO! I must've gotten carried away! Sans, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!”

\----

Sans lurched and then slumped as it suddenly stopped, or at least the buzzing thing at his back did. His bones were still flaring with sensation and he was left a shivering mess. He really did want to tell his brother that he was fine, that a little tickling wasn't enough to break him, especially in front of their captain. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks and he panted hungrily for air. "...i w-will be...," he sniveled, dizzily hanging his head.

\----

“Aw, man, that was awesome! I wanna try!” Holding both of Sans' arms up with one hand, she used the other's fingers to softly skitter in the dips of his ribs.

\----

The slight shift of position had Sans hanging in what felt to be an even more vulnerable state. To be completely overpowered by one hand — even the green spell on his SOUL seemed an unnecessary restriction at this point, though it severely added to his stress. He felt his magic own magic blazing so intensely, he figured if Undyne didn't have such a steely grip on his wrists, everyone within a short radius would be on the floor or against a wall.

He gave an anguished squeak of shock as Undyne continued the onslaught. She really did seem to have learned something, as her touch was leagues less rough than it had been. Aside from her claws, her fingers were surprisingly soft which was bad news for Sans at the spot she was tickling.

"aiieeeeee~! eeheheeeee! ahaaaaaaa, no mohohohore....!" The brush had left him impossibly all the more sensitive and he twitched and writhed, more tears forming in his sockets. "ahehehe dohon't wahahant anyhehe more!" A sob wracked through him and he hiccupped through his giggles.

\----

“Okay, Undyne, I think he's had enough!”

“But I barely got to tickle him!”

“But he needs a break!”

“Ugh.... Fiiiiine....” She stopped tickling and let him go, subsiding the spell.

\----

Collapsing as she released him, Sans quiveringly wiped at his eyes, trying to stem tears that didn't seem to want to stop. He'd been so worried that his plan would backfire on Papyrus, but he hadn't thought about how badly it could go for himself. He wasn't angry at either of them, but he was severely embarrassed by his reactions and felt rather pathetic at the moment, so he kept his gaze down at the floor.

\----

“Sans? Are you okay?” He bent down to Sans' side and hugged him gently. “I apologize if I humiliated or hurt you. I was just wanting to play with you. And besides, it's not like Undyne was going to tell anyone about this. Right, Undyne?”

Undyne was texting on her phone, muttering as she did so. “Aww, man, Toriel's gonna love to hear how ticklish Sans' ribs are! Fuhuhu!”

\----

Sans stiffened at the mention of Toriel, the old lady behind the Ruins door he was so fond of conversing with. She would probably tease him mercilessly with 'rib-tickling' puns after this and he faintly groaned.

Burying himself into his brother's embrace, sniffling, he finally found his voice, though it was a bit hoarse. "nah ... it's .... i-i'm just being silly about it." It really wasn't a big deal, right? He had welcomed Undyne like a sister after her confession, so he really should have expected something like this. "i know you were just havin' fun bro. so was i with you." He looked up at Papyrus with a watery smile. "i mean, it's j-just tickling. no harm done, heh." He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince more.

\----

His face instantly fell and he hugged Sans tighter. “Oh, Sans, I'm so sorry.... Here we were supposed to have fun and I ended up practically torturing you... I promised I'd keep you safe, but... it seems the Great Papyrus has failed....” His sockets began to water and he sniffled.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey, no crying here, okay? Pap, you're a great brother, and don't you ever tell yourself otherwise! And Sans, it was wrong of the both of us to do what we did to you. It may be just tickling, but that doesn't mean it can't badly affect someone if they abuse it. Now c'mon, quit it with the waterworks, you two!” After a moment of hesitation, she hugged them both close, trying to comfort and calm them down, for once her hug gentle and not bone-crushing.

\----

Hearing his brother cry set Sans off again, hating that his actions led to his brother being upset. He was shocked out of his downward spiral at Undyne's words however. Her large, strong arms were supportive.

Sans started to relax, the stress slowly starting to leave him. The small group hug was incredibly comfortable as well, and the small skeleton nuzzled closer, now feeling very safe. "thanks ... it means a lot to hear." He sighed. "i want to have fun with it, really. maybe if you guys eased me into it more, i could handle it better? i dunno." His cheeks were finally dry and he reached up to affectionately pet at his brother's back. "the captain's right, bro. you're the best brother ever, and i know you never intended to harm me. it's okay. i'm fine, i really am. i love ya, pap, and nothin's gonna change that."

\----

Papyrus sniffled and wiped his tears away, smiling a bit. “Thanks, you two. I really am sorry.”

“Forget about it, buddy. We all still love you, ya goober!” Undyne wrapped an arm around Papyrus' neck and roughly noogied his cranium.

“PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!”

\----

Sans chuckled in genuine mirth. Now that he knew Undyne's secret, her actions with his brother made a little more sense and held a little more meaning.

Now that his spine and ribs weren't tingling anymore, Sans pushed himself to his feet and found the nearest wall to lean against. "uhh ... i think i'm late for work. you wouldn't be able to write me a note for a sick day or something, would you, captain?"

\----

“ ...You know what? I got a better idea! Let's take the day off!”

“Nyeh? Day off?”

“Sure! I mean, I already know we won't be getting any humans today and Alphys is always telling me to take more breaks. Besides, I'm in a particularly good mood after playing with my pal-punks! Why ruin the mood with work?”

“Wowie! Really? Amazing! Thanks, Undyne!”

\----

"now you're speaking my language." Sans eased into his lazy grin, hands in his pockets. "or, well, you would be if you threw in a few jokes." He winked, then looked at his brother. "whadd'ya wanna do with your free day, pap?"

\----

“Ummm... I dunno. I've never really done anything other than recalibrate puzzles and train with Undyne.”

“Why don't we walk back to Snowdin and think of some ideas on the way?”

“Marvelous idea, Undyne! I, the Great Papyrus, shall beat you both there! NYEH HEH HEH!” He rushed off towards Snowdin Town.

Undyne chuckled before turning to Sans. “Hey, Sans. I, uh, got something I wanna tell ya.”

\----

Sans smiled happily as he watched Papyrus dash off, then straightened up with a more sobered look, walking up to Undyne. "yeah, cap'? what is it?"

\----

Undyne chuckled a bit before kneeling down to his level. “Hold on, lemme get down here, it kills my back bending down trying to talk to you. Anyways, uh... This is really gonna sound cheesy and cliché and all, but.... Well ... Papyrus is like a brother to me and ... even though you and I don't share that same kind of relationship, I'm still your friend and you're mine. So you don't need to call me captain or cap' or anything like that, Undyne is fine. At least when we're not on duty.”

\----

Sans was touched, and he smiled brightly, briefly arching his eyes. "sure, undyne." It still felt a little disrespectful, but he didn't mind that so much. It felt good to say. "thanks. and you can call me sans. sans the skeleton," he continued jokingly, amused and happy.

Meanwhile, a small, sentient flower watched from the shadows as Papyrus jogged by. It grinned impossibly wide with sharp teeth. Ducking under the surface of the ground, it popped up right in front of the tall skeleton with a cheery, "Howdy, friend!"

\----

Papyrus yelped, startled by the sudden appearance, but once he recognized the flower, his grin brightened and he bent down to him. “Flowey! It's good to see you again!”

\----

Flowey smiled patiently up at him. "You too, Papyrus! Golly, where are you off to in such a hurry?"

\----

“Oh, I was just racing Sans and Undyne back home. Undyne gave all three of us a day off and we were going to go spend time together back in Snowdin! You can come along if you'd like, Flowey! The more the merrier I always like to say!”

\----

The flower touched a leaf to his face as if in consideration. "Golly, that sounds like a fun time. I wish I could join you, friend, but I'll be awful busy this afternoon." Flowey had hoped Papyrus would be alone and he didn't want to draw any suspicion to himself by separating him from the overzealous fish and the smiley trashbag, at least not yet anyway. "But, hey, I would love to spend some time with you, Papyrus, if you can? Maybe tonight? At the usual place?"

\----

“I'm sure I'll be able to make it tonight! After all the excitement today Undyne will probably be going to bed early, and we all know Sans can just fall asleep whenever and wherever. I'll surely be able to make it tonight!”

\----

"How wonderful!" Flowey replied in satisfaction. Something about the skeleton's words caught his interest, and he inquired, "Say, what happened? I don't think I've ever seen you have the day off before. It must be something exciting as you say?"

\----

“Well, earlier, Undyne and I were doing some training and a few times in between Sans and I were having a few tickle fights here and there. It was all really quite fun!” He gave a little hop of joy.

\----

Flowey wasn't sure what the correlation was, but he wasn't going to push it. Instead, focusing on what he suddenly found even more interesting. "Really? Golly, I didn't even know skeletons were ticklish! I guess you learn something new every day, huh, friend?"

\----

“Well, what my brother and I lack in nerves, internal organs, and pretty much everything else we make up for with magic. And yes, we all do!”

\----

"I see! That's incredibly fascinating, Papyrus!" He meant it too. He supposed he'd never thought about it too deeply before. Of course, if skeletons could feel pain — and he knew they could — they should be able to feel other things too. It was probably because it was so par for the course; everybody felt pain. He knew that too. It became a bit boring after awhile. Physical pain anyway. There were always some very interesting results when things got emotional. Now he had some new things to think about. Possibly exciting things.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your race, friend. You seem to still be in the lead! I'll see you tonight, Papyrus!" He ducked back under the surface of the ground with a leafy wave.

Sans was also waving his temporary goodbye to Undyne. "i'll see you in snowdin," he bid with a grin, heading further into Waterfall in the exact opposite direction, turning a corner and teleporting when out of sight.

\---

“Goodbye, Flowey!” Grinning, he continued his jog back home.

“Huh? How the hell does he do that?.... Eh, whatever.” She broke into a sprint towards Snowdin.


	4. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

After making sure Sans and Undyne were both fast asleep, Papyrus quietly left the house before jogging to his appointment. Once he reached the clearing, he stopped to look around.

“Flowey! Flowey, I'm here!”

\----

Flowey popped up to meet him with a smile. "There you are, friend! I'm glad you could make it! It's been a while, hasn't it? Did you have fun on your day off?" Papyrus was at least always a little interesting to chitchat with. Or at least the charm hadn't been worn down to a grating dullness quite yet. Even if he talked about his garbage brother quite often, the skeleton was an incredible source of information. And a naïve, malleable one at that.

\----

“Oh, most certainly! We spent the entire day having snowball fights and building snowmen together! I, of course, built the best one! And between that Undyne decided to bury Sans in the snow as he was taking a nap and tickle his feet. It was quite funny, actually, but of course he can't stand being tickled for too long so I had to help him out. After that we went back inside and we all made spaghetti together; even Sans helped, which was very surprising but not at all undesirable! He was just in such a good mood today, and so was Undyne. I think my brother and captain are really becoming closer and closer! It's quite wonderful!”

\----

"Golly, I'm sorry I missed out, but I'm glad to hear you had such a great time. I'm sure your brother is really benefiting from your influence, Papyrus!" He watched the skeleton carefully, waiting a moment before continuing to make sure his next words struck a little harder. "I'm sure everyone's wrong about him, with a great guy like you keeping him on track, he's just got to be cut out to help keep us safe!"

\----

Papyrus furrowed his brows a bit in confusion. “Wrong about him? Who would say anything wrong about Sans? Everyone knows what a great, reliable monster he is once you get past his laziness!”

He grinned brightly as he proceeds to brag about his brother. “In fact, he's got more part-time jobs than anyone else in the Underground, and he always manages to make enough money to pay rent every month! If it weren't for him we'd be living out on the street! He's very responsible and motivated for a lazybones, wouldn't you say?”

\----

"Well, of course, Papyrus! You and I know that!" he said placatingly, then frowned, bringing his leaves up to his mouth as if troubled. "Golly ... I didn't really want to say anything about it, but on my way to the Ruins to cheer up the Whimsuns today, I overheard some of the villagers talking. They seemed a little upset about seeing him sleeping on the job ... and well, there were some rumors about his ticklishness being detrimental to his position if you can believe it!" There actually had already been gossip, thanks to Undyne's texting, but only because that's the sort of thing that happened in small towns. "I mean, well, you said he can't take it for too long, but it's not like that sort of thing would break him down, right?"

\----

“Oh, dear, I told Undyne not to text that woman behind the door.... Well, the problem is that he's really intolerable to tickling, especially on his sweeter spots. I accidentally went overboard on him this morning actually and he could barely even utter a word. Well, at least no one ever wants to leave the Ruins, and no one else has cell phones, so I'm sure that word won't spread! As for sleeping on the job, he hasn't been sleeping well lately, so I guess I can kinda understand that he'd need to keep up his strength. He always manages to get the job done in the end, though, so it's okay!”

\----

Papyrus's faith and optimism in things was always rather amusing. It was very interesting to hear Sans had such an exploitable weakness, but he wouldn't push it for now. Relaxing his leaves, Flowey replied, "Well, I'm sure everyone will realize that too!" Smiling, he redirected his focus to the skeleton beside him. "It's still funny to think you can be ticklish! Would you mind if I tried it out, friend?"

\----

He stiffened, hesitating a bit. “Y-You mean on me? Well.... Okay.... But just be gentle, and try to stay away from my spine; it's incredibly ticklish.”

\----

Flowey was surprised at Papyrus's initial faltering, the skeleton had talked about it like it was a fun activity, so he had assumed he'd be all for it. Perhaps it would prove to be a point of weakness in the hopeful skeleton as well. How exciting! "Hehe, of course you, silly, who else?" Flowey stuck his tongue out with a teasing wink, summoning a few vines slowly so that they wouldn't startle Papyrus too much. "Don't worry, friend, I'll be careful!"

The green tendrils hovered close, giving curious prods and strokes around the skeleton's neck and feet.

\----

Papyrus grinned nervously and lightly giggled in anticipation as he watched the tendrils inch towards him, and as they began poking around he let out squeaky giggles as he squirmed around. “N-Nyehehehehe! Ehehehehahaha! Th-That tihihickles!”

\----

"Hehehe!" Flowey giggled along. Then he made a SAVEstate.

He only had a limited number of them, so he didn't like to use them too frivolously. But he had rather been enjoying this timeline and he didn't want to damage his relationship with Papyrus this go around. At least not now. He overwrote one where he was sure he had exhausted most outcomes anyway, so it wasn't a huge trade-off.

The vines suddenly began snaking around the skeleton's wrists and ankles, cradling joints and gently lifting him from the ground. Flowey drew himself up to a fuller height so he'd be able to see better, grinning.

\----

He gasped and began to struggle, whimpering a bit in worry. “F-Flowey? I ... I'm not feeling too comfortable with this anymore.... Please let me go....”

\----

"Shhh, shh, it's okay, Papyrus," Flowey crooned, pressing a vine up against the skeleton's teeth. "We're just going to have a little more fun than you anticipated." He chuckled wickedly, worming tendrils under his chest-piece, exploringly feeling out and scritching at the ribs inside.

\----

“NYAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! W-WAIT! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEASE, FLOWEYHYHY! YOU SAID YOHOHOU'D BE G-GEHEHEHENTLE! NYAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!” He squealed and laughed loudly as he yanked against his arm restraints, desperate to protect his torso. The vines held fast, however, so the most he could do is thrash his head, clench his fists, and curl his toes.

\----

"I am being gentle, you naïve idiot," Flowey responded rather gleefully. "I could break your ribs if I really wanted to." That had become boring a long time ago, so luckily, it wasn't actually in his plans. A few more vines went for his feet, poking under and between the toes, and methodically stroking the soles.

\----

“WHAHAHAHAT?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAP!” Papyrus began growing scared as the tickling intensified, and he thrashed around harder.

\----

Surprisingly, Flowey did, withdrawing from the two spots. "Golly, if you react like that already, then I can't wait to see what tickling your spine is like! You did say it was pretty ticklish, didn't you, Papyrus?" He leaned down close beside the skeleton's face with a dangerous smirk.

\----

He gasped loudly and stiffened, his face twisted with fear. “YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T TICKLE THERE! PLEASE, FLOWEY!”

\----

Flowey chuckled. "Well, actually, I said no such thing. You're just too blinded by your belief in the good of people to think I'd go against your wishes, friend." He slowly snaked his vines out to the skeleton's midsection, hovering them tantalizingly close. "It's part of what makes me like you so much, Papyrus."

\----

“P-PLEASE, FLOWEY, DON'T DO THIS! S-SANS! SANS, HELP ME!” He tried to call out for his brother as he thrashed around, trying to wiggle his spine away from the approaching vines.

\----

Flowey laughed. "Oh, go ahead! Cry out for help! I'll bet your brother's sleeping obliviously to everything like the lazy garbage that he is! Nobody's going to come for you, Papyrus." He stroked a vine gently against the skeleton's cheek, enjoying his fear. "I could play with you for the rest of the night. Doesn't that sound like fun?" The tendrils pounced on his spine, prodding and stroking and wiggling.

\----

“NO, NO, PLEASE, PLE-AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! WAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEASE STAHAHAHAP! PL-PLEHEHEHEHEASE!” Thrashing and kicking around, he cackled uncontrollably as tears begin to fall down his bright orange cheeks.

\----

Papyrus was so incredibly reactive, it was entertaining. Flowey loosened his grip just enough to let Papyrus physically express himself a little more, but not enough to drop him. "Golly, you weren't kidding!" He limited his methods to rapid pokes and light taps. "You probably have the most ticklish spine in the whole Underground!"

\----

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I-I CAN'T TAHAHAHAHAKE IT! FLOWEY, PLEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA!” Papyrus made the most of what little freedom Flowey gave to struggle by kicking and jerking and flailing to the best of his ability, his hysterical face twisted in ticklish agony. “P-PLEHEHEHEHEASE! NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA! TH-THIS ISN'T FUHUHUN ANYMOOOOORE!”

\----

"Well, that's too bad, friend! I'm still having fun." Flowey netted a few more vines under Papyrus to cradle him, slowing his touch to a light, teasing stroke, up and down. "But I like you. So why don't we play a little game. Maybe that will make it more fun for you, hmm?"

\----

He squeaked and giggled, still squirming and twitching a bit, finding it very hard to concentrate through the agonizingly light strokes. “I-I-Ihehehehe! I'd rahahather go home! Plehehease!”

\----

"Aww, is poor, tickly Papyrus homesick already?" Flowey cooed, making an incredibly obnoxious sympathetic face before it morphed into his sharp-toothed grin. "You're not going until I'm done with you, you idiot!"

Extending himself upward, Flowey carried Papyrus to a dangerous height, not quite breaching the canopy of the trees, but close to it. Carefully orienting him into a vertical position, he released all but the skeleton's wrists. "You're going to want to hang on, friend, because I'm going to let go, so hold on tight."

\----

“WHAT?!” He shouted in panic before grabbing onto his vines as tightly as he could.

\----

"Very good!" Flowey said encouragingly, letting go after he felt Papyrus's grip tighten sufficiently. "Now the rules of the game are very simple: I tickle you, and you don't let go! Easy, right?" He chuckled, bringing up a few vines in preparation. "If you can hang in there, I'll resume tickling you for awhile and then you can go. But if you fall, you'll probably break your legs ... and then I'll resume tickling you for awhile and then you can go."

\----

“WHAT?! NO, PLEASE, I WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT! SANS, UNDYNE, SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEE!” He kicked out and flailed his legs as he threw back his head to scream.

\----

Flowey quietly watched his desperate panicking in sick fascination for a little bit. Finally, he petted Papyrus's cheek and shushed at him. "Shh, friend, you're going to wear yourself out before we even start, and then you'll probably fall right away! Calm down, hmm?"

\----

Papyrus whimpered, but managed to calm down. “Wh-Why are you doing this? ...I thought we were friends.... This isn't what friends do to one another....”

\----

"Oh, Papyruuus...," Flowey started, voice mockingly sweet and amused. "Are you really starting to have doubts only now?" He kept up his petting in a belittling manner. He'd had similar conversations in the past, but with Papyrus it was always so SOUL-wrenchingly interesting. Flowey almost wished he could have a SOUL to feel it. "To be honest, you're probably the closest thing to a friend I have. You always seem to believe in me no matter what I do to you. That's what makes playing with you so much fun!"

\----

If he had a heart, it would be broken. Tears begin to build in his sockets. “You.... You're playing me for a fool?.... How could you?....”

\----

"Golly, don't take it too personally, Papyrus." Flowey grinned at him, clearly happy that he was. "I'm playing everybody. You just happen to be one of my favorites!" He withdrew the vine from Papyrus's cheek, inching the other vines that surrounded him closer. "Now, let's start our little game, shall we?"

\----

“P-please don't! Please!” The tears now fell down his cheeks as he tried to kick the vines away.

\----

Weaving around his kicks, one of the vines managed to slip up inside his battle body, very gingerly teasing at a lower rib. "You're probably going to want to keep as still as you can, friend," Flowey advised. "You don't want to burn out too fast!"

\----

“N-NYEHEHEHEHEHE! NO! EHEHEHEHEHEHE!” He began to giggle loudly as he squirmed around and kicked out fruitlessly, digging his fingers into Flowey's vines to keep from falling.

\----

"There, see? You were good at this and you didn't even know it!" Flowey praised, ticklishly teasing a few more ribs, slowly and one at a time. "Then again, the Great Papyrus is good at everything, right?"

\----

“AHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAHAP, FLOWEY! I WANNA GO HOHOHOHOME! NYAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!”

\----

"It doesn't really matter what you want, does it, Papyrus? Unless you want to try your luck at meeting the ground, you're just going to have to take it until I'm done with you." The vine slithered outside of his armor, ghosting down the side of his spine with the barest touch.

\----

Sockets widening, he gasped sharply as he yanked his spine away from the touch. “LEAVE MY SPINE ALONE! PLEASE!”

\----

Flowey chuckled, half-lowering his lids, grinning in malicious satisfaction. "You sure are noisy about that spot, aren't you? Why don't we try down here for a while?" The vines lowered to his feet and knees, getting in prods and gentle swipes whenever and wherever they could.

\----

“NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHAHAHAHA! P-PLEHEHEASE! LEAVE ME ALOHOHOHOOOONE!” He tried to lift and kick his legs and feet away from the merciless vines, his laughter mixed with all the exhausting struggling beginning to make his grip falter.

\----

Flowey was acutely aware of the wavering grasp and he quickly eased off. "Not to worry, Papyrus, we're almost done with this!" he informed brightly, burrowing a vine up under the skeleton's scarf and teasing at his neck. "I believe in you, friend! You can win this, like you always win everything, right?"

\----

“NYEEEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHE! STAHAHAHAHAHA—!” He let out a squeaky snort between fits of laughter as he tried tilting his head to protect his neck, his grip slipping a bit more.

\----

Tendrils started coiling back around the skeleton's limbs again and Flowey began a gentle descent, figuring he'd pushed the game as far as he could go without Papyrus getting hurt. Maybe sometime he would play it again and find out if he truly reached the end of Papyrus's resolve. "Congratulations, friend! Golly, you did it! Doesn't that make you happy?" Laying the skeleton back into a horizontal position, he readied his vines again. "You've won more tickles! With unbroken legs! How great is that?"

\----

“PLEASE, I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE TICKLING! LET ME GO, I WANT TO GO HOME! SANS, HELP ME, PLEASE, HELP MEEEEE!” He continued thrashing as he screamed and shouted, this time around his struggles much weaker than before as a result of his exhaustion.

\----

"Shhh, shhh, it's just a little bit more," Flowey said coddlingly, wiping at the skeleton's tears. "Do you really want your brother here? After what you told me about him? If it's so bad for you, couldn't you just imagine how much worse he would feel if I did the same thing to him, hmm?"

\----

Papyrus fell completely silent, taking Flowey's words to heart, and finally he whimpered with defeat and stayed silent.

\----

"There's a good boy!" Flowey cooed, grinning even more widely in his victory. This time, he went for every spot at once, mercilessly tickling Papyrus from head to toes.

\----

Papyrus shrieked and wailed with hysteria, bucking and thrashing around as much as he could, but considering his strength was low he wasn't able to do much. On occasion he'd try to utter a plea for mercy, but laughter would always overwhelm him.

\----

This had been a really entertaining evening and Flowey was pretty satisfied, finally slowing everything to a stop. A part of him was curious how the run might play out if he did actually let Papyrus go home in this state. If the skeleton tattled to his brother, he'd have an angry trashbag on his hands that was usually more trouble than it was ever worth.

"I guess we're done for now, friend, Golly, do you look exhausted!"

\----

Papyrus panted heavily and fell limp, tears falling freely down his cheeks as he closed his sockets, completely exhausted.

\----

Flowey lowered Papyrus all the way to the ground, smiling down at him with what seemed to be pride, as if he'd just won a hard-earned trophy. He thought about his options. He didn't really want to deal with Sans if he could help it ... unless....

Withdrawing all but one vine which lightly coiled itself up the skeleton's arm, Flowey fished around in his stash that he kept in the clearing, finding a plastic bag that contained a couple-days-old Cinnamon Bunny, offering it to Papyrus. "Here, friend, you're probably going to need something to perk you up for the trip back home. Go on, it's safe!"

\----

Considering everything that happened, he was really hesitant, yet he eventually took it, consuming the treat and regaining his strength.

\----

The small burst of energy was enough for Flowey to latch into the skeleton's magic with his own, the vine continuing to creep around Papyrus's bones, entwining in his rib-cage. He could feel the proper channels now, drawing tighter around the magic that emanated from the skeleton's good-natured SOUL. Flowey never tried this with Papyrus before, but he was finding it rather easy. Perhaps because he'd been pushed so far. Perhaps he was still trusting enough, since he'd accepted the food from his tormentor. In any case, Flowey was excited to see how effectively he could hijack the skeleton's body.

\----

“F-FLO—” He was cut off by the unexpected pain zapping through him as Flowey tapped into his magic, SOUL, and body. He began to let out shrill, high-pitched grunts and groans as he struggled to endure the pain, and panic flared through him as he found himself losing more and more control of his body.

\----

The vine around his arm fully disappeared under the armor. Flowey hoisted himself up into it too, thin roots curling several times around rib-bones. The tangle of vines that were threaded around the translucent SOUL briefly sparked, the magic asserting full dominance. Papyrus could still have a bit of control, still having his own mind, but Flowey's influence and will was near absolute.

_"Howdy, Papyrus! Can you hear me?"_

\----

“F-Flowey.... What did you ... do to me?” Every word he spoke was laced with pain, finding his sentences to be dragged out. He felt the pain beginning to ebb away slowly.

\----

 _"Well, golly, I just took you as my host! You have to do whatever I say! Isn't that wonderful?”_ Chuckles echoed in Papyrus's mind.

\----

“N-no, it isn't! Please get out of my body, I don't like this at all! This is very scary!”

\----

_"There's nothing to be afraid of, silly. You're my host, so I'm going to take very good care of you. But first, we need to talk about some ground rules. I know you're very good at following rules, Papyrus, so you don't need to be so anxious!_

_“One of the most important things is that nobody can know about me. I'm your little secret now! How fun is that? You can't talk about me or try to indicate I'm here in any way, friend! Don't do anything out of the ordinary that you normally wouldn't do. You also can't do anything to hurt yourself or me in any manner! That would be incredibly rude!_

_“Now, I know you're tired, so you can rest up for a little while, but afterwards, you're going to head home. That's what you've been wanting so much right?"_

\----

“.... ...If I follow these rules, will you then please leave my body?”

\---

_"If you do everything I plan for you to do, then I'll release you, yes. But if you try to fight me, friend, well ... you may be stuck with me for a very, very uncomfortable amount of time. And that pain you felt when I took over will seem pretty mild!"_

\----

Papyrus gulped nervously before sighing in defeat. “Fine.... But don't make me hurt my brother. I don't care if you're in control or not, I don't care that you have the potential to turn me to dust. If you make me hurt my brother I will make you pay dearly one way or another.”

\----

 _"You soft idiot...."_ Flowey chuckled quietly. _"But you have my word, I won't make you HURT your brother."_

\----

“Thank you.... That's all that matters to me at this point....”

\----

_"I'm so glad to have your cooperation, Papyrus! Well, once you’re set, you should get going. It's getting pretty late after all!"_

\----

“Yeah.... Sure.... Let's go home now and get this whole fiasco over with so I can spend time with my brother ... without you.” His voice was uncharacteristically dark and a bit hostile.

\----

Said brother was sleeping rather peacefully on his bed. It had really been one of those rare better days, even if it had gone off with a shaky start. He'd gone to bed with more happiness and hope than he'd had in what felt like ages.

\----

Once he and Flowey reached home he sighed heavily, suddenly feeling very fatigued despite the Cinnabunny rebuilding his strength. He noticed Undyne was gone, and the soft snores coming from Sans' bedroom indicated his brother was asleep. “How long are you going to be in my body, Flowey?” When he spoke, he sounded very tired and irritable.

\----

_"Probably only for the rest of the night, friend. Now, you're going to go to your brother's room. You're not going to hurt him like I promised, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to mess with him, hmm? He's really had it coming for a long time."_

\----

“Wh-what? No! You're planning on doing something terrible to him, I just know it! I won't allow it! I won't!” He struggled as hard as he could to gain back control of his body, groaning and huffing with the effort.

\----

 _"Papyrus ... Papyrus...,"_ Flowey said, as if in disappointment before exerting his will into Papyrus's SOUL with a zapping squeeze. _"You're not thinking about the bigger picture here, friend. If you don't do what I want, what I want is going to become infinitely worse for him. You know what I can do. I'm happy enough with not hurting your brother ... unless you force me to. Or rather unless you force me to force you."_

\----

Papyrus barely managed to choke back a cry of pain at the squeeze on his SOUL, and at Flowey's threat he gave in and stopped trying to fight back. “F-fine....”

\----

_"Good boy! Now, all I want you to do is drive your brother to the point I did to you tonight with tickling. I'm sure you know how! It should be easy, right? And if I have any suggestions on what to do, you'll follow them for me!"_

\----

“B-but he hates being tickled! I....” He knew it was pointless to argue with Flowey, and he also knew that if he didn't do as he said, he would make him hurt Sans even worse. At least he'd be able to recover from the tickling come morning despite how agonizingly torturous it'd be for him during the assault. “Very well.... You're not going to get away with this, you know that, right?”

\----

_"Silly Papyrus ... I'm more powerful than you even realize. I know you're upset with me, friend, but even if you throw your biggest temper tantrum, you can't do anything to truly hurt me. Now, let's get to your garbage brother, hmm? The quicker that I'm satisfied, the sooner I'll let you have your body back."_

\----

“Fine, let's get this over with.” He snarled under his breath, “And my brother isn't garbage....”

\----

 _"Your brother is the trashiest smiling piece of trashy garbage and belongs in the dump!"_ Flowey shot back. _"You'll probably want to restrain him, I don't care how."_

\----

Deciding to keep a rather nasty comment to himself, he gathered ropes used to tie down Sans earlier and tied him up the same way.

\----

Sans lightly shifted in his sleep with a soft murmur, but otherwise didn't wake, still being very comfortable and used to his brother's hands.

_"Good! Now I think I saw a feather where you found those ropes. Why don't you use that to wake him up, hmm?"_

\----

Feeling guilty and awfully disgusted in himself that he couldn't do anything to prevent this, he went back to retrieve said feather. Sighing and murmuring an apology in advance, he lifted up Sans' shirt and began brushing the feather along his spine.

\----

Sans flinched, smile growing unguardedly, soft giggles starting to bubble out of him in his defenseless state. It took a few moments, but the tickling finally roused him and he yelped in surprise, finding himself once more tightly stuck to his bed. "ehee—! p-papyrus...? ahaaha...! w-whahat're you—!? ihit cahan't behe my tuhurn ahagain already...!" He squirmed, gazing up at Papyrus, looking confused and a bit nervous.

_"Tickle him how you see fit, as long as it's torture for him. I'll let you know when I have an idea for you."_

\----

Gulping nervously, and for once in his life not sure what to even say, he just jumped straight into the tickling, stroking the feather along one side of Sans' ribs as the other hand skittered and stroked the other side.

\----

"gaaaaahaa—! whaha!? p-pap, whahat!? aaahahaa, no, stop!" Growing scared by his brother's silence, he tried to rock his torso out of the way, but he was stretched too tautly to make a real difference. Sans noticed how unhappy Papyrus looked and his mind reeled. "pahap, whahat's th-the mahatter? ahare you upsehet with meehee? kkgghahaha!"

_"Tell him that you are."_

\----

“Y-yes, I am. Very upset.” He stroked the feather between Sans' ribs as he used his other hand's fingers to twiddle and squeeze them. He felt so ashamed of himself he couldn't even bring himself to look at his brother's face, refusing to look at his face as it was twisted with ticklish agony.

\----

Sans thumped his head back with a squeal, tugging on his arms. The varied ticklish sensations were a deadly mix, and Papyrus knew how to wield them both expertly. "oh gahahaha—! stahahap, seheheriously, stahap! aaahahaa! whyyyyhehee? whahat dihid i do!? aahahaaaaahaaa! pleheease!"

_"Lie."_

\----

Papyrus began to slightly tremble in anger toward Flowey as his mind reeled on a possible lie to use, placing down the feather and using both hands to pinch and wiggle Sans' ribs. “You ... er.... Remember when you and Undyne tickled me earlier after training? That's why.” He felt like garbage for lying to his brother.

\----

Sans jumped and his voice was lost to high-pitched squeaks for several moments, his entire body quivering and shaking. "gghh—! eeeeeehehehe, nnhnn-n-nahahat thahahaaaaaaat~! ahaaahaha! ghheh, dohohon't do thahahaat!" he whined shrilly. "plehehease broho! sp-spahaghetti! wehehe cahaan t-tahalk thihis out!"

_"....Spaghetti?"_

\----

He ground his teeth and whimpered in worry, torn between obeying Flowey and granting Sans mercy. He muttered softly so Sans wouldn't hear, but Flowey could, “Sp-spaghetti is our safe word.... I-I need to stop if he uses it.... Please let me give him a break at least....”

\----

_"Interesting choice.... Speaking of choices, I'll give you one. You can give him a break, but only if you hit that sweet spot you mentioned way earlier when you resume with no more breaks. Or we can just keep pushing him now."_

"pahahap! dihihid you hehear me!? spaghettiiihehehe!"

\----

“Er.... Uhh.... Ummmm.... I-I will give you your break now, b-but after it I will tickle your sweetest spot. That o-or I ignore you and continue.” Starting to work his way up Sans’ ribs, he wiggled and squeezed each one he passed.

\----

"whaahahaha?!?" Sans bucked, gulping down squeals, squinting up at Papyrus with heartbroken betrayal.

_"Hahahaa! Oh, that's funny, giving the choice to him! Is it too hard for you, Papyrus?"_

"Ghimmehehe the brehehahahaaaake! pleheheaseplease!" Sans was confused and emotionally devastated, but even if Papyrus would go after his worst spot next because of it, at least he could try and reason with his brother.

\----

Hissing, "Shut up, Flowey...," under his breath as he stopped tickling, Papyrus hung his head in shame.

\----

Sans slumped back, breathing hard, refusing to look at his brother while he gained back his composure.

Slowly turning his head back to face Papyrus, he seemed about to speak, but hesitated. After another attempt, he managed, "p-papyrus, why are you d-doing this to me....?" Tears sprang in his eyes. "you already got me back for earlier. why are you so ups-set?" His voice broke in a sob and tears dripped down his face. "whyhehe, pap? you know i can't take this! ...ahaaaa....—!" It was difficult to speak anymore as he started fully crying.

\----

Tears begin to build up in his sockets as well. “I.... I.... Just.... Just try to tolerate this a little longer.... I'm doing this for your own good....” He turned Sans' SOUL blue so he couldn't escape as he turned him around on his belly and tied him back up.

\----

Sans didn't put up much of a fight, only trying to curl in on himself and weeping openly. "dohon't do thihihis...!" he begged between shoulder-shaking sobs. "y-you d-didn't wanna t-torture mehe ... this is—! this is tohorture...! pleeeeease ... please pap ... please...."

\----

“I ... I'm only protecting you!” On the verge of sobs himself, he began the tickle onslaught on his super sweet spot, tickling fast and hard rather than slow and soft, which was actually less ticklish than the other way around.

\----

Sans lurched as the sensation hit him, fingers weakly splaying, limbs feebly tugging. "ggahaha—! st-stahapstahap! pleehehease stahahaaaa—!" He very suddenly gave up on pleading, now only sobbingly laughing, and rather quietly at that. His tugs turned to twitches. Then all at once he wailed and all he could do was cry. Even though it tickled terribly, he couldn't laugh anymore. He briefly wondered if monsters could die from something like this. He almost wished he could.

_"Well, I think you did it, Papyrus! Good job, friend!"_

\----

Watching his brother sobbing hysterically finally broke him; for a moment he didn't care about the consequences, he just wanted to stop Sans' misery. “I'M NOT DOING THIS ANYMORE!” He stopped tickling and backed away. “There! He's been driven insane like how you drove me insane! Now get the hell out of my body! NOW!”

\----

Sans seemed to have fallen into a near-catatonic state, either unable or unwilling to respond to his brother anymore at the moment. It didn't even seem to have made a difference that he'd stopped.

_"Pussssshyyyy, gollyyyy! Step outside real quick and I'll let you have your body back, friend!"_

\----

“Good!” He stomped outside, the whole time crying in regret for torturing his brother and in lividity toward Flowey.

\----

_"Here we are! This should do!"_

Flowey began the process of dis-tangling himself from Papyrus, both physically and magically, easing out of his system, and he finally dropped himself out from the skeleton's armor, ducking under the ground.

He wondered if he'd finally done it; if this was what made Papyrus stop believing in him. He could overlook murder, but not this? How interesting! He would reLOAD, but not until the morning, not until he spied on what Papyrus would do, from a distance of course.

His voice echoed tauntingly. "Remember, friend, you'll have plenty of time to come after me, but your brother needs you now."

Flowey ran away, giggling.

\----

“Don't count on it, you vile thing....” He stormed back inside and locked the door before rushing up to Sans' room and quickly untying him. “Sans! Sans, are you okay? I'm so sorry!”

\----

Sans's crying had quieted, but his eyelights were out, sockets empty, mouth unnaturally curving downward. He'd dared to be happy, to care again for a little while, and he'd been brutally reminded that nothing really mattered. His brother was angry with him and he couldn't fathom why. He heard Papyrus from what felt like far away, realizing his limbs were free, and curled up, trying to feebly hide himself away.

\----

“Please, Sans, let me just explain! I don't hate you, and I was never even upset! I was being blackmailed by someone! If I didn't give in to his demands he would have made me severely hurt you! Please.... Don't be sad again.... I love it when you're happy, it's so elusive and meaningful to me.... Please, I'm so sorry, Sans....” Collapsing to his knees, he buried his face in his hands as he sobbed.

\----

Sans slowly woke up from his depressed fog, hearing his brother's words long before comprehending them. The sound of Papyrus crying snapped him back fully, and he blinked, pupils returning. "pap...," he croaked in a whisper, sitting up and shuffling weakly to him, reaching a trembling hand to touch his shoulder.

\----

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, brother.... I hate that flower, I hate him, _I hate him!_ He promised me he wouldn't make me hurt you!” He trembled uncontrollably as he sobbed.

\----

Sans was a bit shocked, he'd never heard Papyrus sound so vehement before. It finally clicked that his brother was upset, but not at _him_. Taking his brother's hand in one of his own, he raised his other hand level with the taller skeleton's chest, lightly resting quivering fingers near his SOUL. He magically flooded his feelings into him, unable to hold back how scared he was or the dregs of hopelessness, but most of all he shared his love and forgiveness and concern.

\----

These magical feelings of fear and compassion mingled together only made the tears fall faster, and Papyrus hung his head, unable to bring himself to look at the brother he mercilessly tortured, unable to do anything about the parasite controlling him. One thing was for certain, the Flowey Fan Club was going to be no more after tonight.

\----

Sans leaned up against Papyrus, closing his eyes. "s'kay, pap.... 'm not so easy to _vertebrae-ke_ , 'member? heh...." His smile was slowly returning.

\----

“I.... I've never been more happy to hear your terrible puns! Oh, Sans!” He hugged Sans tightly and sobbed over his shoulder.

\---

Sans returned the hug, rubbing at his brother's neck soothingly. He wanted to ask more about what had happened and the flower that had apparently blackmailed him, but that could wait. They were both emotionally spent and Sans figured they both needed a bit more cheering up first. Withdrawing, he got shakily to his feet and tugged on his brother's hand. "c'mon, bro."

\----

Papyrus sniffled as he stood up, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I ... I understand if you're angry with me.... I deserve it for trusting that vile flower....”

\----

"if 'm angry at anyone, 's'at the guy who had the _nerve_ t' hurt you, pap." He squeezed his hand reassuringly, grabbing a pillow and blanket to tuck under his free arm before gently leading him from his room. "no rules t'night, we're sleepin' on the couch."

\----

“Very well.... I could care less about rules right about now.... Th-thank you, Sans....”


	5. Betrayal: Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

Heading down the stairs, Sans tossed the pillow on one end of the couch, and set the blanket down. "gonna make some hot water. y-ya want anything, pap?"

\----

“N-no, thank you... I just want to sleep....”

\----

"'kay, get comfy, i'll join ya in a minute." He went and busied himself in the kitchen, boiling water and fixing himself a mug of tea, adding copious amounts of milk. Leaning against the wall, he sipped it, then brought a hand up to his face, resting his skull against his fingers. Why was something about a flower so ... familiar? Why would it target them like this? Did it have something to do with the anomaly?

His mug was half empty. The thing had used Papyrus to get to him. It knew, it somehow knew Papyrus was his soft spot. He shuddered. If anything else happened to his brother because of him....

He finished his drink, setting the empty mug on the counter, returning to the couch.

\----

Papyrus was resting on the couch under the blanket, clutching his chest tightly as he lightly moaned in discomfort; the aftermath of Flowey's possession over him was finally catching up to him, and as a result his SOUL ached, feeling like a fiery cramp.

\----

Worry etched into Sans's expression, and he hurried to his brother's side. "woah, pap, you okay? not lookin' so hot there, buddy...."

\----

“My SOUL.... It ... h-hurts....” Each word was stretched and laced with pain, as if speaking made the fire intensify.

\----

"ah, geez, just try to relax, okay?" Sans wasn't great at healing, he wasn't sure what to do. He gently petted at his brother's skull. "is there anything i can get you? you want me to call a doc?"

\----

“N-no.... I al ... already ... burdened you ... enough.... Hnnng...!” Clutching his chest tighter, he brought his knees up as he gritted his teeth and shut his sockets tightly.

\----

"ah—! no, pap, it's not like that!" Sans said anxiously. "if you need help, ya gotta let me know!" He lifted and crawled under the blanket, holding his brother somewhat delicately. "i'm here for you, okay? i love ya, bro. please, if there's anything i can do to help it would make me less worried!"

\----

“...Well, if it ... will ease your nerves ... or lack thereof.... N-nyeh heh heh-ow!....” His weak laughter was cut off by another groan of pain, and he began to breathe heavily. “C ... call a ... doctor....”

\----

Sans smiled at the joke but found himself too worried to laugh. "okay ... okay, i'll get your cell phone." He slipped off the couch, finding the phone in his brother's room and proceeded to make a few calls. He gave the wall a helpless pound before returning. "they don't do house calls at this time of night," he said in frustration. "we'd have to wait until morning. i could take you to the hospital, they're always open. do you want to go? is it really bad?"

\----

“I ... I....” Papyrus broke into a fit of coughs, and he ended up letting out a shrill whine of pain. “Y-YES!....”

\----

"geeze, okay, we're gonna go, then." He gingerly tugged his brother from the couch, gripping his hand. "h-hang on tight and don't be scared, pap, i know a shortcut." It was just a little harder to bring someone along, but Sans managed to teleport them right at the entrance to the monster hospital that was nearby the Core. Helping Papyrus inside, he checked him in and collapsed in a chair in the waiting room, antsy for any news.

\----

A few hours later, a doctor walked into the waiting room with a clipboard. “Mr. Sans? Please come to the back with me.”

\----

Sans hopped up instantly. "of course." He followed along closely, biting back all his frantic questions.

\----

The doctor led Sans down a hallway. “We have some good news and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”

\----

"i guess leave me with a little hope, doc. what's the bad news?" His hands quivered in his pockets.

\----

“Something — or someone — is harassing your brother. It's been going on for months now. Papyrus had told us of a talking flower by the name of Flowey who lives in the Ruins and visits him from time to time. We have contacted Dr. Alphys to see if she knew anything about him. Turns out ... he was created by her via DETERMINATION injection on the bed of flowers the prince died in. Alphys says this flower poses a potential threat to not only your brother, but every monster in the Underground.”

“Keep a lookout for him, Sans, and don't let Papyrus near him. The Royal Guard have been informed to keep a lookout for him and destroy him upon contact.”

\----

Sans slowed to a halt, eyes wide. The news was overwhelming. Fragments of colors, of smells, people, places — dark, darker places — assaulted his mind all at once, but he couldn't make any sense of it. He gulped, trembling, and nodded at the doctor. "i'm going to do everything in my power to keep papyrus safe," he promised. "i'll definitely be keeping a closer watch."

\----

“Good. Now for the good news: we have managed to heal Papyrus' SOUL and body; we found a few cracks in his bones. He's resting now, and by tomorrow morning he should be good as new.”

\----

Sans nearly cried in relief, letting out a long exhale. "thank you, doctor. thanks so much! am i allowed to stay with him until then?"

\----

“Yes, but only for a little while. Visiting hours end in fifteen minutes.”

\----

"okay, lead the way, then, doc, i'd like to see him for as long as i can." The wait had been pretty excruciating, and Sans couldn't be quite satisfied without seeing how Papyrus was doing with his own eyes.

\----

“Oh, and just a word of precaution: don't wake him up. Every time he's woken up by a nurse he wakes up screaming, possibly due to nightmares triggered by the flower.” Reaching a door at the end of the hall, the doctor opened it for Sans. Upon looking inside, he could see Papyrus resting peacefully in a hospital bed wearing a hospital gown. “A nurse will come collect you once visiting hours are over.”

\----

If skeletons could pale, Sans probably would have at the doctor's warning. He had enough experience with nightmares — the possibility that Papyrus was suffering from them was hard to take. He nodded his acknowledgement, quietly stepping inside and coming to a sit in a somewhat cushy chair close to the bed. Seeing Papyrus was enough to lift his spirits, especially since he looked so calm at the moment.

Glancing over at a small table in the corner of the room, he saw Papyrus's armor stacked neatly on top of it. It'd been awhile since Sans had seen his brother without it. He looked a little smaller, a little frailer than he remembered. He wiped at his sockets.

\----

A few minutes after the doctor had left, Papyrus began to mutter incoherently as he shifted around in bed, his sockets closed a bit tighter. Sans could make out the occasional, "No...," as he whimpered.

\----

Sans lightly jumped, expression growing more concerned by the second. He didn't want to wake Papyrus as the doctor had advised, but he was clearly not having a soothing rest at the moment. Quietly pulling his chair closer, he tentatively reached for Papyrus's hand, thought better of it, and pulled his hand back. He might react badly to being touched. Maybe even talked to. He definitely was too apprehensive to try communicating with his SOUL, since that was one of the main things that was recovering. After a few moments of consideration, he started to quietly hum.

He wasn't much for singing — didn't do that too often. But he could work the notes well enough in this manner. It was a wistful, sad sort of tune. Maybe not the most comforting, but he knew it well, though he wasn't sure from where. It seemed good for rainy days. It wasn't raining out now, but maybe it was raining elsewhere, he mused. He continued, slowly, and soft, expressing his feelings through it in any case, hoping Papyrus would hear and understand.

\---

Papyrus was probably able to hear Sans' humming through his dreams, for he was beginning to calm down a bit until he was only lightly twitching and making tiny little 'nyeh's in his sleep.

\----

Seeing that his brother was doing a little better, Sans smiled softly as he continued to hum. Papyrus was quite adorable when he slept, always had been since he'd been a babybones. Sans thought about how he often read to Papyrus until he would drift off.

...How could he have let this happen to his innocent brother? How did he not see the signs? The last thing he wanted to do was encroach on his brother's independence, but now he felt like he would need to keep an eye on him at all times, at least until that flower was taken care of.

That flower. How dare he. How dare he do this to Papyrus! Maybe it had wanted to punish Sans for whatever reason. Maybe he was too involved in the business of the anomaly. Or maybe it was just randomly acting as he guessed the anomaly might and they'd gotten unlucky. Whatever the reason was, it was unacceptable.

The Royal Guard might be on the hunt, but Sans had half a mind to go looking for it himself.

\----

All of a sudden, Papyrus’ peaceful slumber erupted into violent jerks and shouts, his nightmare having gotten much worse, and he started screaming in his sleep. “N-NO! L-LEAVE HIM ALONE! NO! NO!”

\----

Sans really did jump this time, snapped roughly from his thoughts. Now incredibly concerned, he decided it was worth trying to use his voice. "pap...," he said softly. "pap, it's okay. i'm here bro, everything's all right."

\----

“LEAVE HIM ALONE! LEAVE HIM ALONE! GAAAH!!” With a shriek he sat up rapidly, now fully awake, and he panted loudly and heavily as he clutched the chest of his hospital gown.

\----

Sans felt his SOUL ache. "pap, hey, you're okay," he continued. "look at me, buddy, c'mon. you were sleepin'. just breathe, okay?"

\----

Papyrus yelped at Sans' voice and whipped his head around to stare at him through widened sockets. Before Sans could even finish his sentence, Papyrus scooped him up and hugged him tightly — a little too tightly — as he broke into uncontrollable sobs. “OH, MY GOSH, SANS, YOU'RE OKAY! OH, THANK GOODNESS!”

\----

"ghk—!" A little winded from the squeezing, but glad his brother wasn't still stuck in his nightmare, Sans gently hugged Papyrus back, nuzzling against him. "course, bro." His voice was a little strained, but didn't hint at any pain. "how could i not be when i've got such a cool guy lookin' out for me, huh?"

\----

“Oh, Sans.... I ... I had a dream that ... that that flower was possessing me again.... He was making me fight you.... He was making me k-kill you....” He began to softly weep as he buried his face in Sans' shoulder.

\----

"well, it's only ever gonna be a dream, pap. i'm not gonna let that ever happen! i promise." If he was right about the anomaly, it very well could happen. It could even have happened already for all he knew. His own nightmares often felt so real, even if they were sometimes jumbled and confusing. But that didn't matter. As long as he had the knowledge he had now, he would do everything in his power to keep Flowey away from Papyrus.

\----

“Umm.... I ... I had another bad dream before that one.... It was really bad.... But it didn't have Flowey in it.... You wouldn't mind if I told you about it to get this off my chest, would you?”

\----

"you can tell me anything, papyrus. that's what brothers are for, right?" Sans answered gently, looking up at him and quietly encouraging him to continue.

\----

“Well.... I ... I had a dream that ... there was a figure.... It was really fuzzy, but ... it was green and yellow.... I ... I found myself trying to encourage this figure and tell it that I would help it steer back on a right path.... Heh, you'd think one would know why they themselves say the things they do in dreams, when in this case I had no idea what I was trying to encourage them to do. We were in Snowdin.... It was really misty, hence the blurriness.... They ... came close to me, and I felt myself get scared.... Then they.... Erm.... They had a kn-knife, a-and....” He gulped heavily, unable to bring himself to finish his sentence, but his hand subconsciously wrapped itself defensively around his throat.

\----

The eyelights in his sockets slightly dimmed and wavered. It was so strange, but he felt like he had the same dream, just from a different perspective. His skull began to faintly pound and he lightly winced, time seemed to shift and garble around him as if it were malleable. He almost felt like he could reach out and touch it, arrange all the pieces in neat little lines that made sense, but it scattered away before he could even try. Were they seeing things that had happened? Things that were to happen in the future? Was any of it even real at all? If it was, how could they even hope to try to keep it from happening?

_Why_ even try?

His sockets were blank. He blinked and his pupils reappeared. "sounds pretty scary, bro. but you're safe, right here with me, huh?" He sat up, carefully observing Papyrus's movements. Softly smiling, he slowly raised a hand in a non-threatening manner to his brother's neck. "s'matter? you worried about something there? lemme see," he said playfully, worming his fingers past his brother’s, very gently wiggling.

\----

Papyrus let out a startled squeak before giggling and squirming a bit, his laughter sounding light-hearted as he was thankful for the tense, uncomfortable atmosphere being broken. “H-hehehey! Nyehehehehe! Sans!”

\----

"heheheh!" Sans withdrew his hand, eyes arched. He leaned against his brother again with a soft sigh. "they're probably gonna kick me out soon, but i'm glad i got to visit with you, bro. i don't want you to worry, okay? you feeling better here?" He touched his own chest to indicate what he meant.

\----

Papyrus chuckled a bit as he calmed down. “Yes, brother. ...And you? How are you feeling? After that whole tickle torture fiasco earlier I mean.... I imagine I put a real damper on your mood.... I'm sorry....”

\----

"don't blame yourself for what happened, pap. it's really not your fault. and i ... well, you ... you said that you were protecting me. it's a little bit of a blur, but i remember you saying that. i ... i think you were even holding back a bit, weren't you? in some ways? so, don't be sorry pap. you were looking out for me, even if i didn't understand at the time. and i know it was killin' you inside to do what that _creep-er_ wanted." He looked away. "i guess maybe i don't really wanna be tied up like that again ... for a while at least. but, otherwise, i'm pretty good. we still came through in the end, right? maybe i got _rattled_ , but, he ultimately couldn't take away my trust in you."

\----

His sockets watered a bit and he sniffled as he wiped his tears away. “Thank you, Sans. You really are the greatest brother. Well, not nearly as great as the Great Papyrus, but still great!”

\----

Chuckling, Sans looked up with a laid-back grin. "well, naturally. nobody can be greater than that, heh." He glanced down. "man, you even make these weird medical gown things look cool."

\----

“Well, of course they do! The Great Papyrus looks good in anything!” He struck a pose, grinning confidently, immediately blinking the tears away.

\----

"you're as fashionable as they come, bro. hey, would you like me to bring any of your casual clothes by? in case they let you wear 'em? i don't think they'll let you wear your armor around the hospital if you get the chance to walk around a bit. or is there anything else you might want from home?"

\----

“Well, I would like my date-slash-hangout clothes. You know, the Cool Dude shirt and the MTT Brand Fashionable Basketballs? I'm sure I'd be allowed to wear that around! Oh, and all my spaghetti and puzzle shirts!”

\----

"heheh, you got it. i'll get 'em to ya as soon as i can." Sans shimmied down at Papyrus's side, laying in a relaxed stretched. "hey, this bed isn't all too bad, is it? probably way better than that crummy sofa i was gonna have us sleep on. you got lucky." He grinned widely.

\----

“Yeah, no joke about that. That sofa's always hurting my spine.... We really need to think about getting a new one, but we're already trying to pay off the last two sofas Undyne destroyed. Yeesh....”

\----

Sans was about to agree, when a wave of exhaustion suddenly cascaded over him, his sockets drooping. After being woken up so harshly and tortured to the end of his rope, he hadn't gotten any sleep in several hours — most of which were spent fretting with worry — and it was finally hitting him hard. "oh, woah...."

\----

“Sans, are you okay? ...Oh, you're probably still very tired. Well, don't worry about bringing me my clothes today, you go home and rest. I'll be fine.”

\----

Sans sluggishly nodded. "yeah, i guess i ... oh, speaking of undyne ... gotta call her an' get another day off, heh. maybe she'll bring your clothes over for ya...." He yawned, pushing himself up, forcing himself from the cozy bed and giving Papyrus's hand a squeeze. "you get yourself back 'n shape an' i'll see ya real soon."

\----

“Okay. I love you, brother.” Papyrus leaned in to hug him. “Travel home safely. I know you have those shortcuts of yours, but still be careful. And watch out for Flowey.”

\----

"love ya too, papyrus." He hugged back affectionately. "thanks, i'll be careful." Waving with a smile, he opened the door and stepped out, slowly closing it so it softly clicked. He made his way out of the hospital's front doors and searched for a secluded spot so he could teleport back home.

Even though his was tired, he was determined to keep his brother safe. ...He was ... determined.

Flowey had been injected with DETERMINATION.

_DETERMINATION. Why was it so important!?_

He tapped into his magic and teleported. And that's when everything went dark. And darker. And yet darker. And Sans was staring into the void. And the void was staring back. And suddenly he remembered something he'd forgotten. _Someone_ he'd forgotten.

His head pounded with the impossible knowledge. He had to get out! Get out now before he was swallowed away from existence itself. His magic flared in panic and he latched solely on the thought of home.

Cold didn't affect him very much, but he was cold and everything was blindingly white and it stung his sockets. Everything shaking, he realized he was sitting deep in a bank of snow, nearby his own house. He jumped up and dug into his short's pocket, fumbling for his workshop key. Finding it, he hastily jammed it into the lock, flinging the door open and rushing into his lab area.

This place alone seemed impervious to hiccups in time. Sans often found notes here he couldn't remember writing. Pictures and binders of data he had no recollection of. The broken machine in the corner still radiated a faint energy that he could never figure out, but he was sure it was the reason.

Shakily grabbing a fresh sheet of paper, he started scribbling three figures.

He knew why DETERMINATION was so important now, and Flowey was full of it. He was a literal time-bomb that was probably ticked. And everyone was out to destroy him now. Which would force a reset. And he wouldn't remember anything. No one would remember anything that had happened and Flowey could continue his terrorizing of them all.

He finished his sketchy drawing, writing the words 'don't forget' with such force that the pencil broke. _He didn't have time for this!_ Scrabbling for a pen, he grabbed another piece of paper, just putting the tip to the surface when he heard something slithering behind him.

This was too important, nothing else mattered. He penned a few words of warning in near illegible letters in his terror before he was snatched around the middle.

"Howdy! Figure something out, Trashy?"

He'd left the door wide open. _Stupid!_

_Time was up!_

Sans was still Sans until the end. "heh ... you got the wrong guy. trashy's the name of our garbage bag. he lives in the garbage can. papyrus named him."

"Golly, well, that's exactly where you belong!"

And very suddenly, dust exploded all over the floor.


	6. But Isn't It Torture...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

Flowey LOADed his SAVEstate. And there was Papyrus, giggling under a few softly teasing tendrils. Flowey withdrew them. "Golly, that sure was fun! Thanks for letting me tickle you, Papyrus!"

Sans was sleeping peacefully until the rippling effects of time washed through him, kick-starting the beginning of an intense nightmare. He flinched, moaning and restless.

\----

Papyrus giggled a bit and shook himself off to remove the ghost of the tickles. “Not a problem, Flowey! And thanks for not going overboard! I'm glad I can trust you!”

\----

"Well, of course, friend! I wouldn't want to overwhelm you, that would be rude!" Flowey smiled at him. "I was just a little curious is all. Hey, maybe you should try me? I don't even know if I'm ticklish, nobody's ever tried!"

\----

“Hmm? Well, okay, if you insist.” He experimentally tickled the back of Flowey’s petals gently with a finger.

\----

It was a little nostalgic, he supposed. He almost had forgotten what it felt like, having lived in his current body for so long. But it still wasn't quite as intense as what he could remember. "Hehehe! Oh, I guess I aham!" He lightly shook his petals, curling his leaves up to his mouth.

\----

“Oh, wowie! That is really cute! Nyeh heh heh!” He stopped and grinned.

\----

Grinning back up at the skeleton, Flowey made cutesy small talk with Papyrus until he had his fill. It had been fun playing with him, but he didn't want to burn out his possibilities with him too quickly. Papyrus was still a big favorite of his, after all. But maybe when he tried out a few other things, it would feel fresher and more exciting again. "Golly, it's getting late isn't it?"

\----

“Oh, yes, it is! I really should be getting home now. It was nice seeing you again, Flowey! I can't wait to visit you again! Good night!” With a final grin and wave, he began his jog back home.

\----

"I always enjoy our talks, friend! See you around, Papyrus!" Flowey waved back before burrowing under the ground.

Sans was still wrapped up in his nightmare, an impossible darkness hanging at the edges of his mind.

\----

Papyrus made it back home, walking in, and almost immediately he could sense his brother having a nightmare in his bedroom. Rushing to Sans' room, he stormed in, noticing him tossing and muttering in fear in his sleep, and rushed to his side before shaking him. “Sans! Sans, wake up! Please! You're having a nightmare!”

\----

Papyrus's voice guided Sans back from the dark, and he bolted up, wheezing rapidly, bringing trembling hands to either side of his head. He was used to waking from panic-inducing dreams — half the time with his brother's aid — and tried to calm down, waiting for his SOUL to stop fluttering like some trapped insect. "ghhhhnn ... ow ... nn ... thanks for wakin' me, pap." He closed his eyes again tightly. His skull was dully throbbing, which was a bit unusual, but he didn't think much of it, only that it was uncomfortable. "sorry if my fussin' got you outta bed or anything."

\----

“Er.... I-it's no big deal, brother. I'm always here to help you no matter what, you know that. Would you like for me to stay with you until you fall back asleep?” He didn't bother asking what his dream was about; he knew Sans would never tell him anyway for some reason.

\----

At the thought of going back to sleep, a burst of cold terror spiked through Sans. He lightly jolted with a startled breath, hands dropping to clutch at his shirt.

Sans loved to sleep, even the threat of nightmares normally wouldn't deter him from it — even if they were upsetting, they were nothing new. But, what he just woke from upset him more than he initially realized. He wasn't even sure why, it was one of those jumbled, shifting ones that made little sense, but there had been a constant, oppressive ... emptiness that dogged him throughout, and he had a strange feeling like he'd lost something important.

"well, if you wouldn't mind, pap, i ... i'd really like the company." He smiled up at Papyrus and he felt a panging of anxiety that he couldn't place, like he needed to do something, but couldn't remember what. He slid over to make room for his brother.

\----

“Thank you, brother. ...Actually, I have a better idea. You're going to sleep in my room tonight. Perhaps a clean bed in a clean room would ease your slumber tonight.” He scooped Sans up and walked to his room. Despite not either of them feeling cold, Papyrus' body still felt colder than normal, and a bit wet as well, almost as if he were outside doing something rather than sleeping....

\----

Sans gave a soft vocalization of surprise that turned into sheepish chuckles. "heheh, maybe so, bro. thank you." He clung to him a bit more tightly than normal. The lingering chill from Papyrus's outdoor activities was only just noticeable to Sans, and he found that his brother's scarf was quite damp, soaked-through enough to suggest a longer period of time out in the snow than just a brief outing, not yet dried enough to suggest he hadn't been back for long. Sans didn't say anything on the way to Papyrus's room, but it seemed weird — Papyrus hadn't said he'd be doing anything else that night, not that he had to have Sans's permission to do as he liked. But, he didn't want to let it go, so he decided to inquire once they got settled.

\----

Once in his room, Papyrus placed Sans in bed and draped the blanket over him. “There you go. Much cozier than that messy ol' bed of yours, right? Nyeh heh heh!”

\----

"well ... i gotta admit, it's pretty _comforter-able_ ," Sans glanced at Papyrus with an amused grin, "i _mattrass-k_ you how you keep it so tidy!" He started snickering into his hands.

\----

Papyrus narrowed his eyes and grunted, then grinned deviously. “Well, the key, Sans, is to tickle your bed until it agrees to be neat and tidy. Just like this!” He playfully tickled Sans' feet through the bed covers.

\----

Sans’s pitch jumped to a squeak, and he reflexively drew his legs up and rolled on his side, grin widening and eyes arched as he lightly thrashed under the covers. "eehehee~! ahahaa! i-i'm suhure ihit knohows nahat to gehet outta line wihith you!" He found his spirits lifting and his previous stress from the night terror was starting to melt away.

\----

Papyrus laughed as he stopped. “That's right! Even my bed fears the powers and capabilities of Tickle Master Papyrus! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!”

\----

"heheh ... i think you've really earned that title, bro," Sans said in mirth. He hadn't forgotten his questions about what Papyrus had been doing so late, but he didn't want to seem suspicious or nosy so he continued to hold off.

And ... well ... he couldn't quite understand it, but ... "hey, pap...," he began slowly. He looked away, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed, cheeks tinging blue. "uhh ... would you mind ... tickling me a little more?" He chuckled, a bit incredulous and sheepish. It must sound so weird, it _was_ so weird. He'd had such a nice day when it came down to it, and when he'd thought about it, all the ticklish antics his brother and friend had put him through distracted from the larger things he worried about, helped him feel grounded to the moment. "n-no magic or ropes—" A sudden feeling of extreme dread welled up in him at the thought of ropes, though he was confused as to why. It hadn't been _that_ awful that morning. "no ropes," he reiterated. "j-just ... i guess it's a little ... fun? if you want to?"

He hoped he wasn't blushing as much as he felt he was.

\----

Papyrus blinked in confusion, then he smiled affectionately. “Anything to make you happy, Sans. It's always fun to play with you like this anyway!” He giggled as he began to lightly tickle his ribs, making sure not to go overboard.

\----

Sans was greatly relieved that Papyrus was nice enough not to question him about it. He wasn't really sure he could explain how something so torturous was making him happy, because he didn't understand it himself.

His eyes widened briefly as his brother went for the ribs, but he remembered him saying it was his favorite spot to go to on him and he did his best not to fight him off. "gheh—! aahaaaha~! aaha, oh gahash ihit tihickles!" Eyes squeezed shut, he dug the fingers of one hand into the sheets, sliding his other arm under the pillow and curling the edge up to the side of his skull, trying to keep his limbs out of the way. "eheheee! gh~hahahaa! ahahaaheehee~!" His brother's fingers were so devastatingly clever. Geeze, why had he asked for this!?

Part of him hoped he wouldn't stop.

\----

“Wowie, I never knew you liked being tickled, Sans! Well, just don't forget you can always use the safe word and I'll stop immediately.” He decided to kick it up a notch by removing his gloves and sliding his hands under Sans' shirt to scrape his fingertips against bare bone.

\----

"ahehe dunno ihif i doohoo!" Sans admitted, blushing fiercely and lightly kicking. He managed to open his eyes enough to give Papyrus a sincere look. "i juhust truhust you—! ahahaaa!" His frame jumped and he squealed as Papyrus touched his ribs directly. "kkkkgh—! oh gahaha—! ahaa! aaahhaahaha, oh plehehehease! eeeheheeee~!" His hands jumped to his own defense, starting to push, but then he drew them up again resting on either side of his head just above his sockets, fingers curled, arms bent at the elbows as he shook with laughter.

\----

“Nyehehehehe! Let's see just how long you can keep your arms up, brother!” He started to very gently twiddle and squeeze each individual rib, slowly working his way up his ribcage.

\----

"eeeeeeeehee, nahahaahat thahat! gheh—! aaaaaahaa~!" His grin was stretched out broadly, and he tossed his head at the gentle squeezes. He clenched his fingers against his palms. "whyyhehe does thaha—! thahat t-tihickle soho muhuch! eeeeheeeehee!" One hand departed in a brief, half-hearted bat at the air before returning. It was so incredibly maddening how such little touches could affect him so much. As Papyrus's fingers climbed, his pitch continued to grow squeakier.

\----

“Awww! Sans, you laugh like a cute little baby bones! Nyehehe!” He grinned happily as he transitioned between gliding his arched fingers across his ribs horizontally and spider-tickling up and down his ribs and spine.

\----

Sans now covered his eyes, shaking his head. "eeheee, nohoho, no!" Writhing under the sensation, he shivered and jumped. His giggles were a bit whiny at the slow tease across his ribs, "eeheheeee, nnaahaaa~! gghheheheheeee~!" — gasping with breathy chuckles as the onslaught became more rapid and breached his spine. "ghh—! ahaa! ahaha! ghehehahaaa—!" His entire rib-cage was tingling, and Sans finally slipped into a defensive state, pushing and trying to bat Papyrus's hands away in earnest.

\----

“D-do you want me to stop? Have you forgotten the safe word? I'm not torturing you, am I?” His tickle onslaught began to drastically slow as he fretted over his brother's well-being.

\----

Sans's fighting slowed as well, and he was able to take in deep breaths between quieter giggles. "heheh! ... hh ... hahaven't fohorgotten. ahaaa, buhut, ahe'm probably hihitting myhe lihimit. you cahan stahap, haha~!"

\----

“Oh, okay.” He stopped tickling and let Sans catch his breath. Once he finally had, Papyrus began to snicker and smirk teasingly. “Sooooo?~”

\----

Sans fully relaxed, his breathing evening out. He felt ... happy. He really did.

Then he jumped, finding himself lightly squirming under the expression Papyrus was giving him. _Oh, geeze!_ "so what?" he asked in a higher pitch than he'd meant to, cheeks beginning to glow again.

\----

Papyrus snickered behind a hand as he smirked. “When were you planning on telling me about your little ‘interest’ if you catch my drift?~ Wink-wink, nudge-nudge~”

\----

"oh, geeze, papyruuuuuus!" Sans whined, hiding his face in his hands, mortified. "it's not—! i don't...!" He grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it over his head.

\----

Papyrus laughed loudly and slapped the bed a few times in his hysteria. “Oh, Sans, I'm only teasing you! But apparently it's true on account of how flustered you're getting. But it's completely fine, brother, I don't discriminate. And if you wish for future tickle sessions to feed your fetish then I would happily oblige if it would make you happy.” He smiled innocently.

\----

Peeking out, Sans attempted to defend himself. "i ... i just enjoy laughing! 'm not some masochist...." He sighed, slowly pulling the blanket back down, not quite yet able to look at his brother yet, though he appreciated how sincere Papyrus sounded. "...thanks for humoring me, pap. i ... it made me happy."

\----

“Don't mention it at all, brother! I am always willing to help you whenever you need it!” He began crawling into bed next to Sans and hugged him close. “If you need any other favors, don't hesitate to ask.” He smirked teasingly. “Unless you ask me to tickle you while roleplaying as the lady behind that large door in the forest~”

\----

Sans was finally starting to calm down, snuggling into his brother's comfortable embrace. Then he jumped again, cheeks once again flaring brightly. "papyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyrus~! don't say things like thaaaaaaaat! aaaha, geeze!"

\----

“Nyahahahaha! What? It's just that I don't know what she looks like, let alone her name, so it'd be strange for me to play as someone I don't even know. But perhaps I could still substitute.” He snickered as he poked and scribbled at Sans' ribs, teasing in a high-pitched tone. “Aww, does that tickle, Sansy-Pansy?~ You're just so cute and ticklish, sugar skull!~”

\----

"oh gahahaha—! have mehehehehercyyyyy! aaaaaaaaha!" Sans was sure he'd die from embarrassment. He wriggled at the tickling, squirming at the teasing, hands back on his face. Finally he shot back, "you'd hahahate plahaying ahas heher anywayhee! shehe mahakes lots of johokes lihike mehee!"

\----

Papyrus grinned in a challenging way as he kept tickling. “How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh, Sansy? _Tentacles!_ I'm sure that tickles your _funny bone_ , huh? _Tibia_ honest, that joke was quite _humerus_ , wouldn't you say? I'm on _femur!_ ”

\----

"oho no—! staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahap, stop!" Sans shrieked. "oh gahahaaaash, ahehe hahahate everythihihihiiiiing!" He tried to flop himself away from Papyrus's relentless fingers, rocking and laughing uncontrollably.

\----

Papyrus laughed as he finally stopped. “Okay, okay, I think that's enough teasing ... for now. Don't think for a second that I'll let you live this down, though~” He giggled as he took off his scarf to drape it over the bed frame and snuggle under the blankets.

\----

Sans gasped for breath as it stopped, lightly thumping his head into the pillow. "ghehhh—! this is so unfaiiiir! you're gonna tease me to dust, bro! aaaaaaha....—! oh, gosh, whyyyyyyyyy.....~!?" He stared up at the ceiling, wishing his cheeks would stop burning.

\----

Papyrus giggled. “Oh, don't pretend you don't like being teased every once in a while; you do it to me all the time anyway, so it's nice to see you have a taste of your own medicine.”

\----

"oh, no, no, wait a minute." Sans propped himself up on one elbow. "you're not gonna get off that easy for this. it's your turn under the magnifying glass." This wasn't how he'd intended to ask his question, but he figured it was worth a shot. "i know you went out tonight after i went to bed. where'd you go? have a secret date with someone, maybe?"

\----

“Wh-what?!” He stiffened before chuckling nervously. “I-I didn't go out anywhere.... I was here the entire time....”

\----

"oh, c'mon, pap. your clothes were all wet when you woke me up. unless you're gonna tell me you took a shower in your scarf. a _cold_ shower, i might add. maybe having some ... entertaining thoughts there, bro?" Honestly, he wasn't usually so suggestive, but after Papyrus's merciless teasing, he figured on paying him back in the same turn.

\----

“Nyeh? What do you—?” He stopped mid-sentence as his cheekbones flushed bright orange quick like wildfire; he finally understood what Sans was saying, and he didn't like it. “N-NO! SANS!”

\----

Sans chuckled at his look. "all right, all right, i'm kidding. but still, i'm pretty convinced you were out unless you have a better explanation?"

\----

“U-umm... WELL, GOOD NIGHT!” Fast as lightning, he flopped down in bed with his back to Sans and made loud, fake snoring noises.

\----

He should let it go. He should let Papyrus have his secrets. "nuh-uh! you're not getting away with that! it can't be as bad as what you just put me through!" Sans chuckled with a vengeful grin, poking his finger around on the blanket until he found his brother's spine — and continued poking.

\----

Papyrus yelped and tried to wiggle his spine away. “St-stahahap that! I won't tehehehell!”

\----

Withdrawing, he gently placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, using his other hand under the blanket to glidingly zip a single finger up along the exposed spine. "oh, so you do have something to hide then, huh?" Sans grinned. He wasn't overly concerned with actually finding out, as long as Papyrus squirmed a little for it.

\----

He squealed with a massive shudder. “EEEEK! N-no, I don't!”

\----

"then why so _nerve-ous_ about it, bro?" Tapping his fingers up his brother's armor, he reached his neck, gently wiggling and scritching his fingers on all sides. "kitchy kitchyyyyyy! heheh, i gotcha now! i'll keep ticklin' until you tell me!"

\----

“Eeep! Nyehehehehe! Th-there's nohohothing to tell!” He tilted his head to protect his neck from Sans' wiggling fingers.

\----

"hmm, i see we're going to have to take more drastic measures," Sans said deviously before burrowing himself headfirst underneath the blanket until he'd reached Papyrus's feet, making a gentle grab for the taller skeleton's toes, oblivious to the position he'd put himself in.

\----

“NYAAAAAH! NOT THERE, SAHAHAHAHANS!” Through his laughter and struggling he managed to grab a hold of Sans' ankles. “L-LET GO OR I'LL GEHEHET YOU BACK!”

\----

"ghk—!" Sans curled his toes, almost letting go in surprise, but he refused to back down. "but i'm already getting _you_ back!" His voice was slightly muffled under the blanket. Bracing himself, he dug a finger between two of Papyrus's toes and twisted it around mercilessly.

\----

“AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEY! NOT THAHAHAHAT!” He squealed and wiggled his toes, trying to yank his feet away as he began spider-tickling his fingers all over Sans' soles.

\----

The bracing didn't help. "aahaheehehee! aha, noho!" His eyes arched and his fingers briefly faltered as he tugged on his own ankles. He chased his brother's feet, managing to wrestle an arm around the ankles, clawing his fingers in ticklish stress and raked over his brother's soles, giggling and snickering.

\----

“AHAHAHAHEHEHEHE! STAHAHAP THAT! NYAHAHAHAHA!” He began to lose concentration from his own received tickling, yet struggled to keep up his own fight by scraping under Sans' toes.

\----

"ohoho gahahahaha—! stahahahap!" Sans's fingers flexed and he pounded at the mattress with a flat palm. "eeeeehehee! nnahahaaaaaa~!" After a few moments of laughing into the bed, he regained control of his hand, prying Papyrus's toes back, wiggling fingertips underneath.

\----

“AHAHAHAHAHA! N-NYAHAHAHAHA! SAHAHAHANS!” Nearly losing his grip on Sans' ankles, Papyrus threw his head back to howl with laughter, trying desperately to gain back control of his toes. He managed to recover from the initial shock and started tickling the tops of Sans’ toes, having trouble seeing through his watery sockets.

\----

"gheh~heheeehee! nahaahaaaheheheee! staahappiiiit" Sans curled up, relinquishing his brother's ankles, wiggling his toes frantically. "aaaahahaaa~! nohoho! no~!"

\----

Papyrus panted as the tickling finally ceased, but he refused to let up on the onslaught, using his legs to pin Sans' arms to his sides, smirking evilly and gripping his ankles tightly. “Looks like I win, brother; never challenge Tickle Master Papyrus to a tickle fight! Now, prepare for the penalty!”

\----

"aaaaaahaaa, oh gaahahaash, nooooooooooho! no! no! nohoho!" Sans lightly struggled against his brother's legs. "okahaay, okay, you wihihin! nnhnnhnnn—!" He whined nervously in anticipation.

Though that small part of him was giddy.

\----

“To be honest, I've always wanted to try this....” He began to experimentally nibble Sans' toes gently.

\----

Sans's sockets flew open — this was the farthest thing he'd been expecting and he was nearly paralyzed in ticklish shock. "kkgghahaa! gaahaaaahaaa—! the hehell ihihis thaaahaaaaaat!? kkhghh~eeheheee!" He twitched violently, stretching and flailing and clawing to try to reach the end of the bed. "ihihit tihihickles! oh gahash, it tiiiiiiiiiiihihihickles~! aaaaaaaaahahaaaaaaaa!"

\----

“Nyahahaha! I had a feeling this would tickle! Perhaps I should try this tactic on your ribs sometime!” He laughed as he nibbled a bit faster, tightening his hold on Sans' arms and torso with his legs to ensure he couldn't escape.

\----

Sans couldn't worm himself away any further, fully immobilized in his brother's hold. "no—!" he squeaked out at the thought, shuddering, then helplessly vented laughter, head to the side, squealing. "eeeeeeeeaaaaaahahahaaaaaaaaaaa! naaaaaahaha—! n-noho mohohore! i wohon't—! you cahahaan keeeheeep your seheecret! pl—! plehe—~! pleheheeeeeeeehehease! aaaaaaaaahaha!"

\----

“Nyeh heh heh! That's more like it! But I won't stop, not yet!” He started gliding his fingers up and down his soles as he kept nibbling his toes, even going so far as to use his own big toes to prod and poke Sans' ribs.

\----

"aha—! aaaaaaaahaa, ihit's soho cruhuhuuuuel—! pleeheease! p-pleheee—!" His voice started to taper out, starting to laugh in shaking breaths punctuated by gasps, interspersed with squeaks. The sheet beneath his head was soaked by tears. The additional stimulus had him occasionally shivering and jolting.

\----

“Have you forgotten the safe word? Or are you just enjoying the tickling that much?” He slowed down a bit on the tickling so Sans could have enough breath to answer.

\----

"...sp-spa...! ghehetti...!" Sans answered croakily in defeat between silent giggles. It was all he could say at this point. The now much softer tickling still made his mind dizzy.

\----

Chuckling evilly, he continued tickling. “I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?~”

\----

Sans’s sockets snapped open, feeling a small pang of anxiety. "ghh—!" He tried again. "spaaa—! aha—! gh...!" He couldn't even get the full word out now. He couldn't even wiggle his toes. It was a little scary, but he still trusted Papyrus not to hurt him. The tickling swirled over his senses, solely holding his focus.

\----

“Aww, I'm sorry, I'm only kidding! You poor skeleton!” He giggled apologetically as he stopped tickling and let him go. “Are you okay under there, brother?”

\----

Sans took long and deep relieving gasps of air, giving Papyrus a quiet noise of acknowledgement. He closed his eyes, resting right where he was for a little bit before attempting to right himself. Still exhausted, he could barely move. Managing to shift his now free arm, he timidly tapped Papyrus on the leg, silently asking for assistance.

\----

Papyrus lifted up the covers until Sans was in sight, then he gently picked him up and laid him down next to him before draping the covers back over the both of them. “Well, at least you'll be able to sleep better now, right?”

\----

Sans nodded wearily; comfortably. The few minutes of rest gave him enough breath to use his voice again. "....w's awful...."

_Wonderfully awful._ His mind supplied. He told that part of his mind to shut up.

"...th'nks, pap...."

He slipped easily into sleep.

\----

Papyrus smiled affectionately before gently tapping his teeth against Sans' skull in a skeleton kiss, then turned out the light and snuggled next to Sans. “Good night, Sans....” He drifted off into sleep as well.


	7. Hospitality for a Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey, Frisk  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

Frisk smiled down at the cellphone in her hands, finishing spelling out Papyrus's name to go with the number he just gave her. He was funny and she liked him. Their date ended 'platonically', whatever that meant, but she wasn't sure how they were 'supposed' to turn out. People always acted funny when she asked them for a date, and whenever she had one, the other person would say it wasn't meant to be. She didn't know what it _was_ supposed to be, but she didn't mind; all she knew was that she had fun and hoped that the other person did, too.

Walking down the stairs, she headed for the front door, opening it, about to head off on the next part of her journey. She was determined to get home.

Time of day was somewhat more difficult to tell in the Underground, but she noticed the shadows were longer, and it was a bit harder to see what was in the distance. She shivered and rubbed her arms as the wind picked up, thick flakes of snow blowing past.

\----

“Human! Where are you going?” Papyrus bounded to Frisk's side and scooped her up. “You can't possibly be thinking about leaving now; nighttime is approaching and it's too cold, dark, and dangerous to wander around the Underground at night. I have an idea! You can stay with us until morning! You, Sans, and I will have so much fun together; it'll be just like a slumber party! How does that sound, tiny human?”

\----

Frisk giggled as she was lifted up, and smiled at the skeleton and his suggestion. She glanced out the door again, seeing dancing swatches of color reflecting on the snow from the string of Christmas lights that adorned the house. She was determined to get home ... but, Papyrus was probably right. It would be easier to travel in the daytime. "Okay, that sounds nice. Thanks, Papyrus!"

Sans slowly walked home, gently rubbing his skull, carrying a bottle of ketchup from Grillby's under his arm. It had been a long day of trolling the human in every way he knew how, doing his best to subtly influence her perspective. It wasn't that he didn't actually like the kid, or that he wasn't being himself, he just ... had to be cautious, after everything he'd pieced together.

Weeks ago, in his workshop, he'd found a strange drawing that hurt his mind to look at, and a frantically written letter in shaky, hasteful pen strokes. It linked the nature of determination to timelines and RESETs, and mentioned something about Papyrus and a flower, but he couldn't make it all out since it had been cut off. There was also a very strange comment of 'green and yellow' being 'dangerous' to Papyrus somehow. He'd been very disturbed to find himself stepping on a pile of dust on the floor.

He'd watched the human fight his brother in mild trepidation. He'd promised Toriel he wouldn't harm the kid, and he'd keep that promise. Even if something happened to Papyrus because of her, he wouldn't interfere. He knew she was determined. And that meant he couldn't do anything. Not really. Except try to persuade her that monsters didn't deserve to be killed. That they were people too.

But, thankfully, the fight ended well. Better than he'd anticipated, actually. And his brother and the human were going to have a little play-date afterward. He'd teleported in while they were meeting up just to prank his brother before heading to Grillby's.

And now he was home. And he saw the human still in their house. And he froze, his laid-back grin plastered on his face like a mask.

\----

Sitting on the couch next to Frisk, Papyrus was looking down at his hands and balling them up gently. “So let me see if I have got this correctly, human: rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock? But why beat anything up? Why not just make the rock, paper, and scissors some spaghetti so they can be friends and not beat each other up? You humans are so strange with your beating of one's hands disguised as inanimate objects.”

\----

Frisk nodded as he recited the rules, giggling at his improvised improvements. "Hehe, it's just a game. Nobody actually gets hurt when you're playing a game."

Something about what she said had Sans unsettled. He tucked the ketchup bottle in his jacket and relaxed his posture, strolling over casually. "hey kiddo, how's it goin'?"

She looked up and waved at him with a smile.

Sans took a seat next to them, glancing at Papyrus. "kid stayin' the night?"

\----

“She is, and I am so excited! This will be an exciting slumber party full of puzzles and japes and games and snacks and tickles and fun!” He grinned excitedly as he bounced in his seat.

\----

Sans twitched at the 't'-word. He felt like he should be used to it by now as, true to his word, Papyrus hadn't let him live down the embarrassing discovery that happened a few weeks ago. Geez, he didn't have a problem with the word before, and now it was so disarming.

Frisk started to bounce along with Papyrus, imitating his enthusiasm. "What are we going to do first?"

\----

“I have the perfect idea! Be right back!” Papyrus rushed to his room.

\----

"Okay," Frisk said, calming down and gently kicking her legs, waiting.

"so, how'd the date go, kiddo?"

"Good." She giggled a little as she thought about it. "I got Papyrus's number!" Holding up her cell phone, she tapped the screen at his name.

"nice!" Sans suddenly grinned a little wider. "you should probably call him all the time. he loves getting phone calls and has a lot to say.”

"Oh?" Frisk hit the call button and held the phone up to her ear.

Sans blinked, then snickered. "heh, i didn't mean right _now_ , but this is great!"

\----

By the second ring, Papyrus picked up, his voice so loud he could be heard from his bedroom as well as through the phone. “Oh! Hello, human! I suppose you couldn't go too long without hearing my melodious voice! But worry not, for I am almost done collecting the materials needed for our first few games together!”

\----

Frisk was smiling and giggling, and that made Sans happy. Any little indication that she cared about his brother and other monsters gave him a little more hope.

She clicked off the call and put it in her pocket, waiting patiently.

Sans tried not to look as anxious as he felt. He wasn't sure what Papyrus had planned. "uhh, be right back too, kid." Hopping up, he went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Taking the ketchup bottle from his jacket, he paused, screwing off the lid and shakily touched a couple fingertips to the red paste inside, giving it a taste. Ever since he'd cleaned his own dust off his slippers, he didn't have much of an appetite anymore, practically living off condiments the last couple weeks. Papyrus didn't approve, but he couldn't tell him why. He put the lid back on and set the bottle on a free spot on his side of the fridge.

\----

Papyrus trotted back downstairs with a small plastic bag of stuff and three pillows. “The Great Papyrus has returned! NYEH HEH HEH!” Pausing, he looked around. “Hey, human, where did my brother go?”

\----

Frisk looked at the bag he'd brought back in curiosity, and smiled up at Papyrus. She pointed to the kitchen. "There."

Overhearing, Sans quickly closed the fridge door and walked to the entrance of the kitchen, hanging in the doorway. "here."

\----

“Okay, little human and brother! Which activity would you like to partake in first? The pillow fight or the tickle fight?”

\----

Sans nearly fell out of the doorway, just managing to not completely lose his cool. "hey, uhh, y'know that whole thing you were sayin' about ya'know not beating each other up and stuff? maybe we shouldn't do any fighting at all. whatsoever. heheh ... ehheh...." He rubbed at the back of his neck anxiously, looking away.

Frisk hopped up excitedly. "Maybe we can do both at once?"

\----

Papyrus gasped loudly. “You are so brilliant! Yes, we shall have our very first Pillow Tickle Fight! But what shall the rules be?”

\----

Frisk put a hand to her chin in thought. "Hm ... have fun and don't hit anyone's face? Oh! Maybe, if someone loses hold of their pillow or someone steals it, the other two can tickle them for a minute before they get it back?"

Sans slowly and nervously crept his way toward the staircase. "welp, oh wow, i didn't know how tired i was." He faked a yawn. "might just take a quick nap. wake me for the next activity!" He put his hand on the railing.

\----

Smirking, Papyrus used his magic to weigh Sans down by his SOUL. “And anyone who tries to flake out gets a little penalty! Ready, human? His tickle spots are his ribs and feet!”

\----

"ghheh!" Sans sank down to the floor, managing to turn, sitting on the first step and unable to get up from the artificial gravity. "wait? what!? ahaaa, pap, no...!" They hadn't even started and he was already doomed.

Frisk giggled, climbing up a couple steps and sitting behind the smaller skeleton. She slid her hands up below his jacket, but above his shirt. Sans twisted a bit with a soft squeak. "h-hey now, k-kid... careful, there.... i'm, ah, made up of _funny bones_ , ya'know?" He grabbed onto the edge of the stair, not wanting to accidentally smack her if things got out of control.

The human looked up at Papyrus with a childishly devious smirk. "I'll get his ribs if you get his feet!"

Sans stiffened. "i'm sorry for tryin' to flake! a pillow ... t-tickle fight sounds fun!" He knew it was too late to backpedal, but it was at least worth a shot.

\----

“So glad you decided to play along with us, Sans! But let's still get you warmed up for the game!” He chuckled as he kneeled down to Sans' legs, grabbing his ankles, whipping off his slippers, and immediately scribbling and twiddling his toes.

\----

Sans wriggled and squealed, lowering his head as he gripped the stair tighter.

Frisk started up as well, her fingers feeling a little uncertain and unpracticed — probably especially because of his anatomy — though they were tiny and soft and unpredictable.

He couldn't pull on his feet without risking an uncomfortable slip off the stair and the light touch on his toes was maddening. The double assault on the two overwhelmingly sensitive spots soon had him rocking in place, laughing wildly. "kkghahahaaa! heheeeehee~! nonoho, pleeehease dohon't! ahahahaaaaa! oho gahash, staaaahahaap! gahahahaa—! ahehe thihink i'm waharmed up nahahow! eeheeehaaa!"

\----

“Okay, human, let's stop before we overwhelm him.” Papyrus stopped, giggling. “I'll need to teach you how to properly tickle his ribs sometime. Also, Sans and I have decided on a safe word to use whenever they're being pushed over the limit, so make sure to stop immediately when they shout ‘spaghetti’.”

\----

Frisk stopped tickling but kept her arms hugged loosely around Sans's middle, propping her chin on his shoulder as she listened, nodding with an agreeing, "Okay."

Sans sighed, cheeks already a bit tinged. Geeze, he wished the human wouldn't have witnessed how ticklish he was.... How embarrassing! But at least she seemed like a good listener about when to stop.

\----

“Alright! Let the Pillow Tickle Fight begin!” Papyrus tossed Sans and Frisk a pillow before grabbing one of his own and lightly smacking them each in the face, then bounded off to the center of the room and prepared for their counterattack.

\----

"Heyyyy~hee! Haha!" Frisk giggled loudly, taking her pillow and chasing after Papyrus.

"oof—! heh, okay, it's on...!" Sans fluffed his pillow, standing up with a slightly narrow-eyed grin, starting to feel the spirit of things. Luckily the pillows they owned were extraordinarily soft, so Sans could withstand a pretty forceful clock with them without it affecting his HP. Plus, intent was everything, and so far as he'd seen, the human hadn't tried hurting anyone, and he obviously knew the last thing his brother wanted was to hurt him, so he wasn't fearful for his life.

As Frisk started to playfully pummel at Papyrus's legs, Sans made his way over a bit leisurely, using his own pillow to make some protective blocks on behalf of the kid as he waited for his chance. He made a calculated poke and scritch at Papyrus's spine with his fingers.

\----

Papyrus giggled giddily at Frisk's assault on his legs, lightly smacking her head and back with his own pillow, but squealed and nearly fell over as he tried to escape Sans' teasing spine tickles. “S-SAHAHANS! EHEHEHEE!”

\----

"heheheh! go for the knees while i got 'im distracted, kiddo!"

Swiping some stray mussed up hair away from her face, Frisk dove for the taller skeleton's legs. Holding her pillow under one arm, she grabbed at his knees, scribbling with her fingers, giggling all the while.

Sans kept up his assault as well, swinging with his pillow and darting his fingers to his brother's spine when there was an opening.

\----

Papyrus squealed and tried to bounce away, finding Frisk's soft, fleshy fingers much more tickly than bony ones. “N-NYAHAHAAHA! HEHEHEY, THAT'S NOT FAHAHA-WHOA!” He ended up tripping over his own feet in an attempt to back away and collapses to the ground, his pillow flying out of his hand.

\----

Thrilled chuckles rang out from the smaller skeleton as he approached his downed brother. "looks like you get to pay the pillow penalty, bro." He gently clenched his fingers, lazily swiping downward in the air, using his magic to keep Papyrus lightly pinned. "hey, kid, you should give that backbone of his a try, he finds it pretty ... _spine-tingling_." Snickering heartily, he set his pillow down on top of Papyrus's ankles and climbed on, giving his brother's toes the same treatment he'd just received.

Frisk pounced up next to Papyrus's middle, giving his spine curious prods and finger wiggles as she giddily snickered.

\----

Grinning and giggling nervously up until the tickling began, Papyrus burst out laughing. He slapped his hands on either side of him as he struggled to keep them out of Frisk's way. “NYAAAAHAHAAHAHAHAAAHA! EHEHEEHEHAHAHAAHAA! OH, GAHAHASH!”

\----

Glancing back with an evil smirk, Sans teased, "whoops, forgot to start timing. how will we know when a minute's passed? maybe we should count in tickles, heheh. ooooone-tickle, twoooo-tickles, three-tickle-tickles...."

Frisk's fingers grew a little more confident, spidering and stroking up and down, prodding at the vertebrae.

Sans made it to, "ten-tickly-tihickles ...—!" before he dissolved into laughter, unable to keep it up. "heheheh, naw, that's probably good enough." Sliding off his ankles, he took his pillow with him, retrieving his brother's and gave him a gentle whack on his skull. "here, bro." He lifted his spell and dropped the pillow on Papyrus's chest.

Frisk withdrew as well, clutching her pillow, now giggling a bit nervously, but smiling widely.

\----

The new method of teasing was absolutely devastating and, combined with Frisk's growing confidence in her tickling, Papyrus fell into uncontrollable laughter where he couldn't even utter a word, wiggling his toes and flailing his arms all the while. Once the tickling stopped, he fell limp and panted heavily, letting out a startled grunt as Sans smacked his pillow against his head.

\----

Sans stood back a bit, waiting for his brother to get up on his own.

Frisk, however, cautiously approached him in concern, nudging at him softly with her toe. "Are you okay, Papyrus...?"

\----

Papyrus smiled tiredly up at Frisk as he slowly worked his way up to his feet, still panting a bit. “D-Don't worry, tiny human. The Great Papyrus is perfectly fine. A little tired, but fine. You have quite the potential in becoming a tickle master just like Tickle Master Papyrus! Nyeh heh heh!”

\----

She smiled, giggling. "Really?"

Sans took the opportunity to snatch the pillow from her arms while she was distracted. "heheh, well, let's find out how ticklish you are first, squirt."

"Heeeyyy!" She squealed, reaching to try to get it back before dashing away from Sans's own grabbing fingers.

"nuh-uh, no flaking out, kiddo!" Sans grinned, catching her by the SOUL instead, very gently lifting her up to a hover in front of Papyrus. He didn't want to double-team her off the bat in case it would be too much for the tiny girl. "wanna lay down the law, bro?"

\----

Papyrus giggled a bit. “The rules to the Pillow Tickle Fight, as stated by Frisk the tiny human, include tickling someone for a minute should their pillow be dropped or stolen by someone else. Sorry, tiny human, but we need to follow the rules; I had to, and Sans will have to once his time comes.”

\----

Sans twitched at the last bit, giving Papyrus the softest possible glare, though he was still grinning.

Frisk giggled, squirming a bit in the air in anticipation as her own rules were stated back to her. "Okay, okay! Haha!"

"i'll hold the kid, you deliver the penalty, heh." Sans lowered her slowly and gingerly to the floor on her back, keeping the pressure light, but enough to keep her in place.

\----

“Hmmm.... Where to begin.... Well, I am quite fond of your squishy belly! It's just so pokable!” He grinned as he began to gently poke Frisk's belly and sides.

\----

Frisk squeaked through her giggles, bringing her hands up to her mouth. The firm, bony fingers made the pokes rather potent. "Hehe! Aha! Eee! Ehehe!" It tickled a lot, but she was enjoying the attention.

\----

Papyrus started to gently squeeze her sides. “I like all this squishy skin and stuff you have, it's fun to poke and squeeze! Nyehehehee!”

\----

"Eeeeahaahaa!" Squirming and lightly kicking her legs, Frisk finally wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "It tihickles! Eeheheheee~!" She found it funny that the skeleton was so fascinated by the components he lacked, and that made her laugh harder through her squealing.

\----

He slowed to very gentle pokes on her belly. “Would you like a break before we continue your tickle penalty?”

\----

"Ehe~! Mhmhmm!" Despite still-escaping giggles, she managed to catch her breath back for the most part. Her struggles slowed, and she grinned up at Papyrus, shaking her head. "Hehe! I'll use thahat word like you sahaid if I need a breheak. Aha! Hmhmhm!" Papyrus was so nice, she thought, and so much fun!

\----

“Nyeheheh, I’ll give you a break anyway, just so I don’t overwhelm you.” He stopped tickling and giggled as she struggled to catch her breath. “Having fun, human?”

\----

Frisk sprawled out as he stopped completely, lightly panting, though smiling warmly. "Uh-huh! You're both so funny, it's fun to play with you."

\----

“Aww, thank you, little human! You are a lot of fun to play with, too!” He hugged Frisk before pulling in Sans as well. “GROUP HUG!”

\----

She giggled and hummed, happily hugging back.

Sans let out a noise of slight surprise as he was yanked in, but leaned against his brother, comfortably, sliding an arm around the small human as well. Everything seemed so nice. Maybe ... maybe he really could trust her. He desperately hoped he could.

\----

Papyrus smirked playfully as he used his lanky arms and legs to trap them in his embrace before poking Frisk's side and Sans' ribs. “Nyeh heh heh! You both have fallen into the Great Papyrus' tickle trap!”

\----

Both of them startled at once, Frisk squealing, Sans squeaking, giggling against each other.

Feeling playful, Sans kicked up the dramatics. "aahaha! oho no! but you ohonly wahanted to cahapture a humahan, broho! ahehe'm juhust ahan innocehent monster! haahahaa!"

\----

“Well, I see capturing my brother as a bonus!” He wiggled his fingers along Sans' ribs and Frisk's side and belly, giggling alongside them.

\----

Sans threw his head back up against Papyrus, squealing and squirming.

Frisk's giggling jumped in pitch as she twisted around.

"wehehe gahatta mahake a breheak for ihit, kihid! hehe cahahan't hohold us if wehe work togehether!" Sans started to struggle a little harder, trying to fight against the tight hold.

Taking his cue, Frisk attempted to worm away as well, wiggling around and pushing as much as she could with her limbs.

\----

“A-Ack—!” Papyrus was beginning to lose his grip on them, and so he tickled much faster and harder to try and subdue them.

\----

"aaahaa! noho! nnahahahaaaa!"

"Haahahaa! Hehehahaaha~!"

Their efforts were greatly weakened as more laughter was squeezed out of them, and they slumped back against each other, their struggles now only reflexive.

"oho no, ihit wahasn't enough! yohou're toohoo good, pahahap! ahahaaaaa!"

\----

“NYAH HA HA! Tickle Master Papyrus always wins! Just don't forget that this is all for fun, so if you need a break, remember the safe word is ‘spaghetti’.” He gave Frisk's sides and belly little squeezes and pinches as he wiggled and twiddled Sans' ribs.

\----

More squealing pealed from Frisk; Papyrus seemed to enjoy the texture and elasticity of her midsection as he was fully taking advantage of it, and she found that all the more funny.

Sans gasped sharply, shivering and shuddering. "ggheehee! oho gahash, nahat thaha—! okayheeehehee! okahay, i'm dohone! spahahaghettihihi! eeheehe!"

\----

“Oh, wow, Sans, you're so weak!” Papyrus laughed playfully as he stops tickling Sans, but he still kept him trapped in his hold, now using his free hand to lightly tickle Frisk's neck and under her chin.

\----

Sans pouted, but he took the opportunity to rest anyway, catching his breath. He was a bit taken by surprise at the endurance of the kid, but he didn't want to make any comments acknowledging that he'd been outlasted by a child.

Frisk pinned down her chin, squeaking as his slender fingers teased the next vulnerable spot. "Heehehee! Ehe! Ahaa!"

\----

“As much as I would love to continue, your tickle penalty has expired. I shall let you both free now!” He let them both go before handing them their pillows again and grabbing his own.

\----

Sans gripped his pillow, sights now back on his brother as he got up and cautiously approached, taking a few swings at Papyrus's chest.

Frisk, however, crept up behind Sans, giving him a light blow to the legs.

"gh—! oof! aaha, hey, i thought we were a team on this one!" He half turned, aiming a smack back at her.

She rolled out of the way, giggling.

\----

Once Sans' back was turned to him, Papyrus began smacking the back of his head many times over. “HUMAN, GRAB HIS PILLOW!”

\----

"ghhk—! aha! aaaah!" Sans raised his free hand, trying to fend off the blows, doubling over in chuckles. He tried to keep his pillow out of reach, but couldn't concentrate and, in seconds, his fingers were empty. "aha, geeze—!"

\----

“NYAH!” Papyrus pounced on Sans and pinned him down with his limbs. “Now it's your turn for the tickle penalty! Frisk, tickle where you'd like!”

\----

Frisk flopped down beside the smaller skeleton, straddling over his spine, looking down at him.

Sans peered up at her a little wearily in resignation, arms pinned by Papyrus loosely over his head. He wasn't sure he liked the curious expression she was giving him.

Slipping fingers under his jacket again, she felt her way up, settling just under his arms before experimentally wiggling.

Sans was confused for a moment, but then her intent resonated soundly with his magic and he arched his back with a loud, shocked squeal — though he was no less confused. "oho gahaaaa—! whahat ahare you doohooing!? whahat ihis thaaaahahat!? aaahahaaa! stahahaappit! staaaahaap! ahaaaaaaha!"

\----

“Wowie, human! Whatever it is you're doing, it seems to make him laugh as hard as when his sweet spot on the back of his ribs are tickled! What are you doing in there anyway?” He managed to hold Sans still with ease.

\----

Frisk stopped for a moment, looking at Papyrus with a smile and a shrug. "It's a pretty ticklish spot on humans, so I thought I'd try."

Sans was still twitching and a little dizzy, his magic tingling unbearably, reminding him of when Papyrus tried that strange blowing technique on his ribs. Magic and intent was a little funny like that sometimes. "oho, gahasssh, noohoho! don't give pap ideas on more places to tickle meheee!" he lamented in a whine.

Frisk giggled with a "Sorry!" that sounded too happy to be sincere. It definitely wasn't sincere as she jumped right back into it, now wiggling her fingers in the hollow spots without mercy.

"kkgghaaaaaaaaahaha! aaiiee, staaahaaaaaaap! nohohoho! pleehease! pleasepleeeeeeeeehehe—! ahahahaaaaaaa—~!"

\----

“I hope you don't mind if I try!” Holding down Sans' wrists with one hand, Papyrus used the other to tickle under one of his arms with his lithe fingers, scraping his fingertips against the tip of his humerus bone and wiggling them in the hollow pit, giggling all the while. “Looks like we've found a new sweet spot!~”

\----

Sans turned his head in the opposite direction of the arm his brother chose, tugging desperately on his arms, curling the fingers of his hands against each other. "aiiiieeeee—~! pleeeehease! ihit's toohoo tihicklish! ahehe cahaan't—! cahan't tahake ihit!" He squirmed and bucked as much as he could.

"Could you show me his other sweet spot?" Frisk asked excitedly.

"ahehehee hahahate you, pahahahap! ahahahaaaaaaaa!"

\----

Papyrus ignored Sans and let out an excited laugh. “Of course! There are plenty of spots and methods of tickling that drive him up the wall; we'd might as well go through them all!” He turned Sans' SOUL blue so he couldn’t escape and gestured for Frisk to sit by his ankles, and Papyrus pinned them down. “Unfortunately, I don't have a toothbrush on hand, so we'll have to do that some other time. But one method of tickling I found out just recently is this!” He demonstrated by gently nibbling Sans' toes.

\----

Frisk eagerly scampered to sit next to Papyrus.

"aaaah! pap, no! don't do this to meeheeeee!" Sans snapped his arms down as soon as they were free and he shuddered, gently clutching his shirt. His fingers squeezed around the fabric as his brother's teeth gingerly touched his toes. "kkhahahaaaa! nnahaaaha—! stahappit~staaaaahappihihiiit, oh gahaaaasssh! pleeeeeeehehease!"

"That doesn't hurt?" Frisk asked, watching in fascination.

"nohohoho, it doehehesn't! gaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaha!"

\----

“You have to be extremely gentle when doing this. It may become a bit difficult if he wiggles his toes, though, especially for you since your nerves may hurt if his bony toes collide too hard into your teeth. Perhaps you shouldn't try this tactic yet.”

\----

"Hehe, okay. I'll leave the more advanced tickle techniques to you." She giggled.

Sans tried to wiggle away the tingles from his toes while he had a chance, breathing hard, trying to fight the blush on his cheeks as Papyrus gave away all his weaknesses to the supposed sworn enemy of monsterkind.

\----

“Let's go to the ribs next, then!” Pouncing to Sans' torso, Papyrus pinned his arms over his head with a hand once again, lifting up his shirt with the other. “I've only tried this once, but it seems to be very effective; I'm certain you can do this easily, especially since my magic is keeping his chest pinned.” He inhaled deeply before blowing a raspberry on his sternum.

\----

Sans whimpered as his wrists were dragged back up again, squirming even before Papyrus did anything, then arching and throwing his head back in a howl. "aaaaaaaaaaahahaaaaa! nahaaahat thaaaahahat! staaaaaaahaaaaaap! oh no, nonononohohoho, stahahahaaaaaaaaap—~!" His magic sparked and tingled intensely in the aftermath and he couldn't stop giggling, eyes wide and nearly delirious.

"Hehe, that looks like fun!" When Papyrus finished, Frisk leaned over, her short hair falling across Sans's ribs which made him shiver. She took a deep breath before razzing the sternum as she had been shown.

It was different when the human did it, Sans managed to think with the coherent thought he had left. Her buzzing lips radiated overwhelming tingles more through his bones than his magic, which was nearly akin to the toothbrush, but somehow _worse_. "ghaaaaaaaaaaiieeeeee~! oh gaha—! i caha—! pleeeeeheea—~! pleehehease, nohoho! aaaaaaaahahaaaa!"

\----

Papyrus giggled and waited for Frisk to finish. “Now here's another tactic I like to use on him. Gently take a rib between two fingers like so,” He gently gripped Sans' lower rib in his index finger and thumb, “and wiggle it around like you would a toe. Giving it tiny little squeezes will also increase ticklishness. Like this.” He started to wiggle and twiddle his rib, lightly squeezing it as he did so.

\----

"noho! n-naaheeheheeeee! eeeeheheeeeeee~! pleeeheeeeease! you're kihihillin' meeeeeheeehee! ehe—~! heeheeeee! whyyyyheheheheee...~!" Tears dripped and rolled from his tightly arched eyes, grin stretched out broadly in his squeaky giggling. He couldn't take it, but he would. Even if it drove him insane, he'd realized his brother and the human were furthering their bonding, and they needed that. The entire Underground needed that. Because if this child didn't care deeply about them, she might be susceptible to the power she wielded. Sans hated to think like that — she seemed like a sweet kid, but he knew the power of determination had messed with them all — had personally killed him. He didn't know if it had been her, maybe she hadn't even used her power. But he couldn't afford to take any chances. Especially if she started to think of their lives as a game.

Frisk giggled, tentatively reaching a hand and softly taking hold of one of Sans's ribs, copying Papyrus's movements. Sans jolted and rocked in place. Her fingers were unbearably velvety in comparison to Papyrus's bony fingers, but her technique wasn't quite up to par. "kkeeeeeheeeeee! ihihit tihickles! ihihit's soho bahaahad! pl—! pleheheease! ghehehh~! eeeeeheeheeeee—~!"

\----

“You're a natural! Now there's one last spot, and this is the most sensitive, as well as my personal favorite place to tickle.” He flipped Sans over on his back and pinned his arms down, lifting up the back of his hoodie and shirt to expose his ribs and spine. “See the little grooves where the spine and ribs meet? If you gently glide your fingers in there, it will drive him wild. The softer and slower you tickle, the worse it'll tickle for him. See?” He very lightly and slowly glided his fingers up and down the grooves in his ribs.

\----

Sans didn't even protest as he was rolled over, too exhausted, and sure it'd be over soon anyway if he complied. But he still was extremely nervous, already lightly twisting in anticipation, feeling the gliding fingers that Papyrus so delightedly described before they were even used. And when they were, it tickled like hell.

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeee—~! pleeeheeee—! pleeeheasepleasepleaheheheheeeeeeese! aaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaa! nahaahat thaahat! noho mohohohore! oh, gahahahaash, staaaaaaaahahaaap! eeeeeheeeeeeeheeeeee...~!"

He squirmed around as much as he could, trying to shake off the agonizingly teasing touch, but he couldn't do much with his SOUL weighed down. His cheeks were burning blue and he was glad he was face down for that much at the very least.

When Frisk's soft fingers landed along with his brothers', Sans tensed up in ticklish paralysis, voice lost in a shrill squeaky squeal. He laughed silently, mind completely consumed for the moment. "...hh...~! mehercyyyyyyyyyyheheheheeeee...—~!"

\----

“Hmmm ... I wonder....” He leaned in to whisper something in Frisk's ear, somehow managing to lower his voice enough to keep Sans from hearing. “Could you try blowing a raspberry on his sweet spot? My mouth may be too large to reach it.”

\----

Frisk giggled conspiratorially. Hugging her arms around the small skeleton, she leaned down, nuzzling down against the back of his ribs which made him lightly jump. Taking a breath, she noisily buzzed into one of the grooves.

Sans felt like he was on the ceiling, completely detached from everything but the sensation that he both hated and loved so much. He wasn't sure if he was struggling, or laughing, or sobbing, feeling like he was doing all and none at once. The safe word conjured in his mind, but he wasn't sure if it had made it out of his mouth or not.

Flowey smirked in satisfaction at the scene through the window in front of him. He'd learned quite a bit from his favorite skeletal toy in those wonderfully intriguing minutes. Those idiots had been undoing all the hard work he was attempting to set up. But not all was lost. He knew she'd realize the power that she had eventually, how she would be curious to see how things might play out differently. And then he could put his plans into motion. He was glad he'd decided to keep an eye on her tonight. That smiley trashbag was really going to suffer before this was all through.

\----

Papyrus laughed before gently patting Frisk's back. “Okay, I think that's enough tickling for the poor guy... for now anyway.” He subsided the spell on his SOUL and pulled his shirt back down. “You okay, Sans?”

\----

Frisk nodded and sat up. "Wow, that was really fun. Thanks for showing me all that, Papyrus!"

Sans panted and wheezed, unmoving, his senses slowly trickling back. "...hff ... huh?" Blue was still lightly painted over his cheeks, and he felt lightheaded and dizzy. His bones and magic were both tingling awfully and wonderfully. "...'m ok'y ... i th'nk...." A few lingering tears rolled from his sockets, tickling unbearably in the sensitive aftermath, but he didn't have the energy to wipe them away.

\----

Papyrus took off his scarf, using it to gently wipe away Sans' tears. “Did you have fun, Sans? You must've if you didn't use the safe word.”

\-----

Sans glanced up gratefully through drooping sockets in relief. He wasn't sure how to answer the question; any simple answer he gave wouldn't be entirely honest or even entirely false. Plus, if he told Papyrus that it was torture, his brother would probably feel bad and be concerned. But if he said he had enjoyed it, they might want to try driving him crazy again later, which was a terrifying thought. _And a thrilling one_. He didn't have the energy to argue with himself.

So instead, he said, "...w's a _rib-t'ckl'n_ exp'rience ... heh...."

\----

“Good grief, Sans, you're relentless! But I suppose I'll let it slide. We did do quite a number on you. Would you like to rest? Frisk and I can continue playing if you want to.”

\----

Sans smiled a little wider for a moment, then closed his eyes. "...yeah ... hh ... please. a-and wat'r...."

Frisk tentatively reached over and softly started petting at his skull. "Sorry for making you so tired, Sans." She sounded like she meant it this time.

Sans blinked his eyes open in surprise at the touch, then gave a pleased sigh. He could feel her intent so strongly, so very much the opposite of harm. How could he have doubted her? "...mm ... th'nks kid. glad you h'd fun."

\----

“I'll be right back, tiny human.” He scooped Sans up and carried him up to his room. “It is getting rather late. Perhaps it's time for you to go to bed. You can sleep in my bed again if you'd like.”

\----

"okay," Sans said agreeably and non-specifically, eyes closed, not really caring which bed he went to.

Frisk hopped up and trotted to the kitchen, opening the fridge and finding a water bottle. Taking it with her, she followed Papyrus up the stairs, holding it up. "Here, for Sans."

\----

“Wowie! Thank you, Frisk!” Taking and opening it, Papyrus handed it to Sans, helping him hold and drink it as his brother's strength still hadn't returned completely yet.

\----

Sans gulped the water down gratefully, before realizing how he must look and sputtered. "ghhuh! oh, gosh, this makes me feel like a baby bones. how embarrassing! ugh!" But he chuckled with a small sigh, shakily grabbing at the bottle for more until he felt somewhat more refreshed. "thanks, guys."

Frisk giggled, hanging back until Sans was put to bed.

\----

“Of course, brother. Get some rest, and we'll see you in the morning.” He gently tapped Sans' skull in a skeletal kiss after draping the blankets over him.


	8. Two Sides of the Same Feather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey, Frisk  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

Sans felt so happy, so loved, so ... hopeful. Maybe one day, they would all be playing together on the Surface. He could at least allow himself to dream.

Outside, vines crept up the wall of the back of the house, stopping at a second story window, quietly prying it open.

Flowey had to be careful. If he made any wrong moves, things would get really complicated, really fast. The trashy skeleton had been sufficiently worn out, though. That idiot. He'd seemed so much more wary after Flowey had tortured and dusted him, a trait that seemed to stick with him or soon catch up with him no matter how far Flowey went back or jumped around before his powers of determination had been trumped by the human's arrival. It was infuriating — it was already hard enough to corner the small skeleton or try to manipulate him, and now it would be all but impossible. Except ... now a window had opened. Well, technically he'd just opened a window — but the point was, an opportunity had naturally sprung up on its own without Flowey's guidance, and he was going to capitalize on it.

Sans woke with the distinct feeling that things were not right. For a moment he almost thought Papyrus had tied him up to the bed again, but ... there was so much rope. Too much. Coiled around too many bones that were unnecessary to restrain. He also seemed to be floating in a cradled position, lacking the coziness of blankets and softness of pillows. And then his eyes snapped open in horror as he felt the ropes _moving_ — slowly slithering under and between gaps in his body. Panic ignited at the creepy sensation, and he whimpered, lightly struggling, completely bewildered. It was dark, but the rocky walls around seemed to be lightly rippling and glistening with moisture, so he guessed he must be somewhere in Waterfall. He caught the very faint scent of water sausage. There must be a lot nearby, since they weren't terribly aromatic.

A gleeful echo of laughter seemed to zip around him and Sans frantically looked around, trying to pinpoint the source. Whatever it was, it was trying to intimidate him, he realized. And he hated to admit that it was working.

"u-uh, how's it _hangin'_ , buddy...?" he ventured nervously. "s-something you need me f-for? could'a just asked...."

The unnerving laughter bounced around the cavern. "I just need you to suffer for me, Sansy."

Sans was trembling uncontrollably now. His magic flared and he searched, fingers clenching, but unable to find anything to pin down. There was no SOUL to be found. "...wh-what are you?" Sans finally asked, wishing his voice didn't sound so lost. "where's your SOUL? you can't be a monster...?"

A large shape shifted in the darkness above him, towering over him, though he couldn't quite make it out. It gleefully responded in a whisper, "I am a god."

"d-dunno if i believe much in those." Sans continued scanning, just to be sure he hadn't missed something. Anything. There _had_ to be a way out of this. "at least if ya are one, ya don't seem very much like the benevolent type...."

"You've committed a great deal of sins against me, Sans. And now it's time to pay for them." The voice seemed to come everywhere at once in a convincing illusion.

"ghhnn—nk—! ahh! stop!" Sans flinched as the restraints that were already tightly wrapped around him squeezed everywhere at once. It was almost like the being knew exactly how much strain his bones could take without snapping.

"Now, Sansy, if you don't want to die, there's something I'd like you to do for me."

Sans waited, but so did the voice, as if inviting him to ask. "hh! ghhnh! ...what do you w-want?"

The creature seemed pleased. "I want you to beg me to tickle you."

"w-what...? what!? ...wait, what!?"

"You heard me. That's what I want. And you'll do it if you don't want your dust washing up downstream."

Sans was so numb. He couldn't comprehend this situation he was in. "...why?"

The being seemed so very amused, laughing at his confusion and stress. "Because I know you'll hate that, you idiot."

Sans was terrified. Not only was the creature right about that, but he didn't want to be tickled anymore tonight. Especially by someone who he didn't trust, who made it clear it meant him malice.

"i ... i don't want this...!" Sans's voice cracked in a sob, tears already filling his sockets. "please! please, i'll beg you not to! can't that be good enough?"

"Golly, Sansy ... you're missing the point. This is supposed to be about the opposite of what you want, isn't it?" A snake-like shape was moving toward him, and he stiffened in fear as it touched his cheek, gently flicking away his tears. "Now I won't ask you again. If you refuse, you'll be dead. No more discussion. Got it?"

Sans shuddered and started to weep. Even though he often felt hopeless, he didn't really want to die. He didn't want to leave Papyrus alone in the world. Even in a world that started over and over on a whim, he didn't want his brother to be left without him, vulnerable to the darker things that lurked. He didn't want Papyrus to ever be in danger of what he was going through right now. And he didn't want to _die! Please Papyrus! Save me!_

"o-okay," he choked out, hanging his head back, eyelights completely gone as tears dropped, lost in the shallow pool below. "please ... t-tickle me...."

"Again."

Sans sobbed. "please! tickle me!"

"I want you to mean it!"

"please!" Sans screamed. "don't kill me! tickle me instead! please—! ahaaaaa—!"

"Good boy," the voice praised.

The restraints around him slackened, and Sans took a reflexive deep breath, exhaling sobs. More tendrils loomed up in his vision, surrounding him, hovering, just barely leaving an inch between them and his bones and he jolted and jerked in fear.

"noho—! nonono...!"

"Don't tell me no, and don't tell me to stop, or you will die, Sansy. You deserve this."

"ghh-hnnnn—!" Sans's SOUL panged in intense distress, calling out to anyone for help.

But nobody came.

Flowey had noticed something during the time he'd taken possession over Papyrus to torment Sans. The tickling had been quite intense then, sure, but the true agony appeared when Sans believed his brother was upset with him. It wasn't something he could replicate in this moment — nor did he want to. The important thing was that the circumstances were as crucial to the torture as the tickling itself. Threatening to kill to get what he wanted was such a cheap and dull tactic by now, but ... with Sans, it was exquisitely rare and fresh and satisfying. Golly, this bag of trash really was pathetic after all! Sans had never been this broken down in his own vines before and he was going to enjoy every second of it!

Sans gave up trying to fight, going completely limp, submitting himself to the cruelness of fate. His only chance would possibly be a fatal blast from his most potent magic to his captor, but anything less than that would mean his own death. And considering, his ATK power was incredibly low, only augmented with various techniques to chip away his opponents' HP, Sans would be dead before any real damage could be done.

He'd tried to do right by the Underground. By the human. By his brother. And for himself. And it had left him vulnerable when that was something he couldn't afford. He didn't know what he'd done to offend this creature, but maybe he deserved this punishment after all. A reminder to never let his guard down again. Happiness was nothing more than an unattainable dream that he knew better than to chase. Why had he even tried? Why had he ever cared?

"Sanssssyyyyyyy....~"

The voice drew him out of his depressed spiral, pupils faintly shining in his eyes again. He lightly jumped as he saw a typha plant in front of him, held by the stalk by one of the shadowy tendrils. The cattail gingerly brushed under his jaw and he shivered with a mournful squeak.

"Don't check out on me now. We've got lots to do! You begged for this over death, didn't you? So don't start falling down on your own!"

A new layer of panic engulfed the small skeleton, trembling at how shaky and weak his SOUL felt. He took a breath, reassuring himself that he had something, and more importantly some _one_ , to live for.

The typha was a little soft and a little scratchy, slowly circling over his cheeks, lightly twisting at the corners of his mouth. It was irritating and horrendously ticklish at once, making him wince and shake his head, whimpering. But he decided he'd refuse to speak for as long as he could manage. Protests came to him easily under ticklish duress, and that wasn't what the being wanted to hear.

The tendrils that were still hovering over him suddenly began to move in tantalizing wiggles. Sans tried to curl up, but the restraints held him open and exposed. Anticipatory stress built up in his chest and he couldn't stop himself from whining.

"This is what you want, right, Sans?"

"...nnhnhnnnnnn ... yes." There was no trace of a smile on his face.

"Golly, then let's get started!" Every tendril pounced at once, but it was a surprisingly gentle assault — which of course made it more agonizing.

"gghaaaaaahahaaa! nnhnn—! aaahaaaaaha! gaaha—! ssst—! aaaaaha! aaahaaaaaaaaahaaaaa!" More tears were already falling, and Sans was shaking and writhing. There were too many points of sensation for his mind to process, wiggling and poking and prodding softly from his neck to his soles. If he didn't know any better, he might've thought he'd fallen into a swarm of busy insects.

Then suddenly, everything stopped except for a lone tendril at his feet, poking itself between his toes and twisting.

"gehehehh—! eheeeheeheee! nnhnhnn...—!" His fingers clawed and flexed, trying to tug at his legs, but all he could manage with his limbs bound up so tightly was a slow, ineffective shimmy. The tendril tip gently wiggled his toes and scritched at the tops and Sans stuttered out a squeal, giggling and whining, gulping and quivering. He became more frantic as more tickling tendrils were added, tracing under his toes and stroking the soles, not neglecting the insteps or heels. "eeeeeeeheeeehaaahahahaa! gahahaa—! kkghehehahhaaaaa! ahahaa—! hahaahaaaaaaaa!"

Sans didn't know how long the foot-torture lasted, but the minutes agonizingly racked up, and he was sure Papyrus would have asked him if he needed a break twice over by now. His laughter was already becoming hoarse.

When it finally stopped, Sans gasped and wheezed. His chest felt heavy with sobs, but his body felt air was more important than crying.

The creature actually gave him a minute to calm down, though it was strangely quiet. Sans was just as uneasy with the silence as with anything it said.

After catching his breath, Sans looked up with sad, tired eyes. "h-hey ... b-buddy ... are we done?" He sniffled, voice soft. "i'd r-really like to get home...."

"Oh, Sansy.... Do you really think you're getting off so easily? We haven't had a chance to focus on your ribs yet!"

Sans hiccuped and let his gaze fall hopelessly.

"You want your ribs tickled, don't you?"

"...yes."

"Tell me exactly what you want."

"ghnhn ... i ... i want you to ... to—!" His pitch twisted higher in a suffering squeak and he vented a few sobbing breaths. "...ahaa ... to t-tickle my ribs."

"Oh, goody, because that's exactly what I'm going to do, Sans!"

The tendrils were gentle, delicately coiling around in the lightest grip and squeezes, contrasting with the tighter ones that held him in place. They nudged and wiggled so cautiously, as if his rib bones were made of china.

Sans couldn't stand it. No amount of giggling or crying or squirming could truly express how awful it was as every one of his ribs was teased in the worst possible way. "eeehee—! oh gaha—! ahahaaa—! eheeeahahaa! pl-pleeeeeheheheease! pleaseplease...!"

The tickling stopped so suddenly that Sans lurched, gasping for breath.

"Please, what?"

 _No! Stop! Don't_ "...please...!" Sans wasn't sure how he had any more tears left to cry. His sockets felt drained.

"Please, what, Sansy?"

"...ahaa ... please ... tickle me more." He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die even if it killed him in every other way.

A thick vine coiled itself around his head, covering his mouth, effectively gagging him. With it so close to his nasal cavity, he could smell it with every inhale, a scent of earthy soil and buttercups. "mmph—!" He looked up pleadingly, shaking his head.

"I just don't want you to say anything you'll regret, Sansy." With that, the tickling resumed.

"mmhmhmmm—! hmhmm! gghmhmhmmmmm...!" He could only properly breathe through his nose and was starting to feel light-headed.

Being so restricted and feeling so dizzy, Sans lost himself to the sensation. For now, that's all there was, just endless, unbearable tickling. He didn't have enough mind left to wonder if he was losing it.

And then the tendrils started gently poking into the grooves between ribs and spine and Sans was convinced this was hell.

He'd angered a god, and now this was his eternal torment. And he _deserved_ it. He _wanted_ it.

Body, mind, and SOUL completely overwhelmed, Sans slipped from consciousness.

\----

Meanwhile, with all the ensuing laughter and joy the human and skeleton were to share with one another, they didn't even notice the disappearance of the third member of the house....

\----

Frisk gave Papyrus a sly glance when he came back. "So, do _you_ have any sweet spots like that?"

\----

Papyrus nearly tripped over his own feet, so startled by the question. “M-Me?! Er.... Why, n-no, of course not, tiny human! Besides, even if I did have any sweet spots — wh-which I don't!... — I don't think I'd tell you that easily....” He giggled nervously as he subconsciously lowered his hands to protect his spine and hips.

\----

Frisk playfully clawed her fingers, slowly advancing toward him. "Well, I guess I can always find out myself." She did observe the areas he was acting nervously about and giggled with a grin.

\----

Beginning to back away, Papyrus held up his arms defensively. “H-Human?... What are you doing?...”

\----

Frisk giggled, making a pounce for him. "I'm gonna tickle the Tickle Master!" she declared giddily.

\----

“WHOA!” Papyrus tried to back up, but ended up tripping over a pillow and collapsed to the ground, now completely vulnerable.

\----

Frisk pressed her advantage, hopping on top of him. Instead of the spots he'd guarded however, she dove her wiggling fingers under his arms as she had with Sans, hoping to catch him by surprise.

\----

Thrown off guard, Papyrus gasped and squealed loudly, and he tried pressing his arms against his sides. “ _NYAAAAA_ HAHAHAAHAHAAHA! Y-YOU ARE A SNEHEHEAKY LITTLE HUMAN! AHAHAAAHA!”

\----

"Hehehe!" He'd managed to trap her fingers right where she wanted them. "You'll have to lift your arms if you want me to stop tickling you here!" Of, course, she didn't let up in the slightest.

\----

“N-NYAHAAAAHAHAHAAHA!” Still kicking and squirming, Papyrus struggled against his reflexes to lift his arms away from his sides.

\----

Smiling, Frisk withdrew from under his arms, but quickly darted her fingers to his spine, gently tangling them in the vertebrae. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his backbone and buzzed.

\----

Papyrus gasped loudly, sockets wide and bug-eyed, and screamed with laughter as he squirmed around uncontrollably, unable to utter a word; as much as he wanted to endure the tickling for Frisk's enjoyment, his reflexes were too much to ignore and he began trying to push the human child away with his hands.

\----

Frisk giggled and relented at his pushing, sitting back up. "You need a break already, Tickle Master?" She leaned back and deviously slid her hands behind her, resting them against his lower armor, teasingly prodding at his hip-bones with her thumbs.

\----

He gasped and cried out, and he quickly picked Frisk up away from him. “N-NOT _THERE_!!” Once he’d realized his outburst, he blushed a deep orange and looked away. “U-Ummm...”

\----

"Woah~hoh!" She brought her hands to her mouth, snickering. "Is that one of your sweet spots?" Calming her laughter, she gently patted his hand. "It's okay, I won't tickle you too much if you don't want me to. I don't want you to get worn out too...." She did feel a little bad about Sans, even though it had been fun.

\----

Papyrus calmed down and smiled reassuringly. “Worry not about Sans, tiny human, he's perfectly fine. He and I have tickle fights all the time and he enjoys it much more than he wants to admit, I'm sure. Besides, at least all that tickling left him happy and optimistic when he went to sleep! I bet he's dreaming about things like puns, ketchup, and that mystery woman behind that door in the forest he has a crush on!”

\----

Frisk was happy to hear his assurances. Her eyes shimmered slightly and she grew quiet at his mention of Toriel. The phone weighed heavily in her pocket. She stuck her hand inside, but instead pulled out two pieces of Monster Candy. Taking more than one had made her feel pretty guilty, so she hadn't grabbed a third, but maybe sharing would ease her conscience about it. She held a piece out to him. "Would you like one?"

\----

“Oh, yes, please! Thank you, Frisk, you are so generous!” He placed her down and took the candy before unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth, crunching down on it loudly.

\----

Once she was back on the ground, she sat and leaned up against him, unwrapping her own candy and sticking it in her mouth. It had a distinct non-licorice flavor that she very much appreciated, but as she chewed and swallowed, it didn't ever seem to make it to her stomach, directly energizing her instead. Monster food was a little weird. She glanced up. "You wouldn't ever not answer if I called you, would you, Papyrus?"

\----

His brows raised in surprise as he looked down at her. “What an absurd question! Why wouldn't I answer my cool friend's call? That wouldn't make me a very good friend, now would it?”

\----

The human smiled warmly, hugging her arms around his middle. "No. But you're a great friend, Papyrus." She suddenly giggled. "You're the coolest friend." She nuzzled his spine, playfully drumming and wiggling her fingers against it.

\----

“Aww, thank you, tiny hum- _AH_!” Cut off as Frisk began to lightly tickle his spine, he started to squirm around as he giggled. “N-Nyeheheehehaha! Hehehey!”

\----

This time, she tried to be gentler, pressing her lips in soft kisses along the grooves instead of razzing, and not going at it for very long, unable to anyway as she couldn't stop giggling in her fun.

\----

“Eeep! H-Huhuman! Eheheek! That tihihickhles! N-Nyahahaa!” He began to blush intensely at the kisses as he trembled, trying to keep his arms from stopping Frisk's fun by tremblingly wrapping them around his battle body.

\----

Withdrawing from him, she laughed, kicking her legs out and laying back in a sprawl, resting her arms behind her head. "Thanks for letting me stay tonight. I don't feel so scared when I'm with you."

\----

“Awww, of course.” He hugged her close and nuzzled her affectionately before poking her belly playfully. “Now let's see how you like it, tiny human! Nyehehee!”

\----

"Hmhmm. Ehehee!" Papyrus was so funny and comfortable. Her hands reflexively jumped from behind her head to lightly bat at him, but then she pulled her arms back, holding them curled up to her chin, attempting to endure like he had done for her. She grinned up at him widely in mirthful anticipation.

\----

“Hmmm.... I wonder how ticklish human feet are....” He smirked as he gently grabbed one of her ankles, removed her sock, and lightly tickled her sole.

\----

The gentle touch of his bony fingers was pretty effective and she erupted in giggles, lightly twisting and squirming around. "Hehehehe! Ahaha! They're ticklihish! Eeheehee! Eeek!"

\----

“Nyehehehee! How about here?” Now, he lightly wiggled his fingers under her toes.

\----

"Ee~hehehe~eek!" She lightly pounded the heel of her free foot against the floor, wrapping her arms about herself. "Heheehee! It tickles a lot! Hahaa!" she responded squeakily.

\----

Papyrus laughed giddily as he gently wiggled her toes. “You have such an adorable laugh, tiny human!”

\----

"Eee~! Heheeeheehaha~!" She laid her head back, letting out a long squeal. Shaking her trapped ankle lightly around in his grasp, she raised her free leg, trying to block and push away his fingers with her other foot.

\----

“Oh! You want me to tickle your other foot as well? Well, okay, then!” Gently grabbing both ankles in one hand, he used the other to tickle both soles after removing her other sock.

\----

"Eeeheek~ahahaaaaaa~! Hahahaaa~hahahaaaa!" Rocking and flopping around on her back, Frisk now began playfully tugging against him, attempting to run away. She wasn't really desperate since Papyrus was so gentle, so she didn't feel the need to use to safe word, still having fun.

\----

“Oh, no, you don't! You're not getting away that easily!” Laughing, he pounced on her and lifted up her shirt before blowing a raspberry on her belly, feeling to her like a regular raspberry but without the lingering wetness of saliva.

\----

Frisk giggled and squealed giddily as he pinned her, wriggling with a wide grin. As he blew against her tummy, she pedaled her legs with a shrill shriek that dissolved back into happy giggling. "Aiiiiieeeeeee~aaahaaaaa! Hehee~hee~! You got meehee! Aha~!"

\----

Papyrus stopped and looked down curiously at her navel. “Nyeh? What is that little hole on your belly, human? Is that ticklish?” He experimentally poked his finger in it a few times to test its ticklishness.

\----

Squeaking at his experimental prods, she tried to curl up. "Eeek~! Ee! That's my bellyhehee—! My belly button! Aha~eehee~!" She lightly kicked her legs, looking up, finding it funny how interested he seemed to be.

\----

“A belly button? Why do you have a button on your belly, human? Is it to give one's belly an extra place to tickle?” He grinned curiously as he lightly scratched the insides of her belly button with a finger.

\----

She wriggled and squirmed harder at his more purposeful tickles, squealing gleefully, unable to answer him for a few moments. "Eeeeeeeeeee~aaaaaaahahaa! I dohohon't know! Ee~yiiieeee~! Haha! I think—! I thihink it's left from beheeing a bahaby, haha!" It had been explained to her at one point, but she couldn't remember at the moment, and couldn't really think with his finger worming in her navel.

\----

“Oh? Do monsters have those, too, do you think?” He stopped tickling, letting her rest, and blinked curiously.

\----

Her giggles slowed and quieted as she took quick, light breaths of air. The explanation she'd been given coming slowly, but not completely, back to her. "Hmm. Well, I think there's some kind of cord that connects the mom and the baby, right here—" she pointed at her navel, "when it's inside. Um ... I don't know what happens to it, but the belly button's left." She shrugged. "I don't know how monsters are born, but maybe they have something like that?"

\----

“How incredibly interesting! Monster babies don't have anything connecting them to their mothers. In fact, Sans tells me that baby monsters are born when a mother and father monster wish upon an Echo Flower in Waterfall, and then it just magically appears. Isn't that neat? However....” He suddenly frowned, looking very much unlike himself. “I don't even know if Sans and I have a mom.... Or a dad....”

\----

Frisk pushed herself up to a sit, listening in curious fascination, eating up the explanation, nodding. Seeing his expression and hearing his uncertainty, she suddenly felt an empathetic weight of sadness for him. It was getting harder to remember her own parents, but at least she knew who they had been. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his middle and gently squeezing, hoping to offer some comfort.

\----

Papyrus smiled softly and picked her up to place her in his lap before hugging back. “Thank you, tiny human. Your sympathy and compassion are greatly appreciated.”

\----

Resting her cheek against him, she tilted her head up with an equally soft smile. "Well, even if you don't know who they were ... even if something bad happened ... you must have been wanted if they wished for you, right?"

\----

“Y-You think so? I sure do hope you're right, tiny human. ...No, of course you're right! Thank you so much! You're such a cool friend! Nyeh!~” He nuzzled her affectionately, lightly tapping her head with his teeth in a skeletal kiss.

\----

Lightly giggling under his affections, she softly petted at the ridges of his spine.

Then, suddenly, an anguished scream came from upstairs.


	9. Sick of It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Frisk  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

Papyrus gasped loudly before placing Frisk down and bolting up the stairs to Sans' room. “SANS?! He's probably having another nightmare!”

\----

Frisk watched him go with a noise and a look of concern.

Sans was sitting up on his bed, knees to his chest and shivering. His fingers were clutched about his head in stress, sockets blank. Tear tracks were darkly stained on his cheeks. He didn't acknowledge Papyrus as he came in, SOUL throwing out signaling waves of magic that begged for help.

\----

“Sans! Sans, it's okay! Please calm down, it's all okay! I'm here now! It's okay!” He hugged Sans tightly and rubbed his back, trying to calm him down.

\----

The embrace should have been a comfort, but Sans yelped and whimpered at the restriction. He didn't think, only reacted. His magic flamed brightly within him in panic, latching onto Papyrus's SOUL, and he flung out an arm, effectively ripping Papyrus away, slamming him into the far wall.

Sans's low ATK combined with his intention to only create distance and not harm probably kept it from being too serious, but it still had been rather forceful. The smaller skeleton still didn't seem to be quite aware of his surroundings, curling up further in fear.

\----

“ACK!” Papyrus cried out in surprise as he was flung into the wall, but he slowly climbed to his feet and approached Sans again carefully, trying to shake him awake. “Please, Sans, it's okay! It's Papyrus! Your brother! I'm here! You're safe now, I promise!”

\----

Sans moaned, feebly trying to push him away, but Papyrus's voice and insistence slowly brought him to his senses. His struggles died down and his pupils blinked back in his sockets. "...p-papyrus...?" His voice was faint and raspy, his shoulders shook, and he quietly and tearlessly started to cry.

\----

“There, there, Sans... It's all okay....” He hugged him tightly and rubbed his back. As he pressed against him, he detected the faintest scent of soil and buttercup, but he decided to question it later once his brother calmed down.

\----

Sans clung to his brother, venting out his stress and frazzled emotions. The rubbing at his back was soothing, though his bones twinged with soreness. Finally, he started letting out longer breaths, settling into a more relaxed lean, occasionally hiccupping, but much more at ease.

\----

“Sans... I know you don't like telling me what your nightmares are about, but... please tell me at least this... Do you know if your magic goes haywire during your nightly episodes? You... You smell like earth and flowers...”

\----

Sans suddenly tensed up. His nightmares had always felt so real, even the scrambled ones. But he could mostly recall this one with intense clarity, and if he smelled like that.... Could he possibly have teleported outside in his sleep? Or ... had that actually _happened?_ He glanced around anxiously with a breathless, "i dunno...," and started to hyperventilate.

\----

“N-Nonono! Sans, calm down, please! Whatever happened, it's all over now! I'm here with you and I'll keep you safe, I promise. You have nothing to fear anymore, brother.” He gently placed his hand under Sans' chin and tilted it up so he could look Papyrus in the eye. “Calm down, brother. Take a deep breath; follow my lead.” He slowly inhaled and exhaled, gesturing for Sans to do the same.

\----

Sans gulped and nodded, keeping his gaze fixed on his strong, kind brother. It took some effort to match his breathing up with Papyrus's, but he managed, taking in deep calming breaths and exhaling away the stress. When he was able to breathe more-or-less normally on his own, he uttered a soft, "th-thanks, pap. thank you...."

Frisk had quietly made her way up the stairs, peeking inside the room, but didn't want to interrupt them.

\----

Mustering a tiny, comforting smile, Papyrus used his thumbs to wipe away Sans' tears. “There you go. You're okay now. You're safe. ...Perhaps Frisk and I should call it a night, too. You obviously need someone by you to help you sleep better.”

\----

Sans looked down, lightly clutching his own arm. "...'m sorry, pap. i don't wanna cause you so much trouble. i dunno what's wrong with me. if you wanna have s'more fun with the kid, that's okay. b-but i don't wanna be a-alone." His voice cracked.

\----

“No, it's okay, I promise. It's way past everyone's bedtime anyway; we can play more tomorrow before the human has to leave. She will understand, Sans. I don't want to leave you alone and afraid.”

\----

"okay," Sans said quietly. He hugged Papyrus as tightly as he could. "you're the best, bro. thank you."

\----

“Of course, brother. I'd never leave you to suffer alone, that would be cruel. Let me just find the human and — Oh! There she is!” Papyrus spotted Frisk standing outside the door and gestured for her to come in. “How long were you standing there so I know what to repeat?”

\----

Frisk blushed and stepped inside. "I heard pretty much everything," she admitted. "I just wanted to know if everything was okay."

\----

“Well, hopefully it will be come morning. Human, would you like to sleep with us tonight? I'm going to be sleeping with Sans so he won't be alone, and perhaps having a third member sleeping in here will make him feel more at ease.”

\----

She smiled and nodded, walking up to the bed and climbing on.

"hey, kiddo...." Sans smiled softly at her, a bit embarrassed. "hope you're not too worried about me. sometimes my dreams just give me a _bed_ time, ya know, heh."

"I hope you feel better, Sans."

"thanks, kid, me too." He sighed, extremely grateful for their company.

\----

“I just got the grandest of ideas: tomorrow we can play in the snow before Frisk has to leave, but not before a healthy breakfast of spaghetti! Perhaps we could have another tickle fight, but no torturing Sans this time. I'm with you, human, I still feel bad for doing that...” He grinned apologetically. “Besides, tickle fights always do wonders in cheering my brother up!”

\----

Frisk liked the sound of that.

Sans didn't. His fingers clenched at his sheets, his smile wavered and he started to tremble. "gh-hh—!..."

\----

Papyrus noticed his brother's nervousness right away and turned to him. “Sans? Are you okay? What's wrong?”

\----

Sans glanced away, conflicted about how to answer. He didn't want to talk about what he'd gone through, nightmare or ... not. But he couldn't say everything was fine, because he realized it wasn't. He was still shaken and emotionally compromised, and that small part of him that didn't like to admit how much joy he got from tickling had been beaten down so thoroughly he didn't know if he could enjoy it anymore.

"i ... uh ... m-maybe just leave me outta the ... the t-tickle fights tomorrow. please. i-it's not your fault, so d-don't worry."

\----

He nodded and smiled, but he still couldn't mask a look of disappointment. “That's perfectly fine, brother. You don't need to partake if you don't want to. But that doesn't mean you're banned from being a tickler if you really want to. After all, it is quite fun tickling Frisk's tiny little feet!” To emphasize his point, he giggled as he lightly tickled Frisk's soles and toes through the bed covers.

\----

Frisk squeaked in delighted surprise, giggling and lightly curling up her legs, though not too serious about getting away. "Hahahaa! Eee~hee! Heyyy~eehehee~!"

Relaxing at his brother's assurance, Sans slowly stopped trembling. He even smiled at the human's cute laughter. "heh ... you'll hafta show me if you learned any good spots on the kid, bro." He softly chuckled, paused, then teased, "and then she'll hafta show me if she found any of your secrets."

\----

Papyrus froze a bit. “M-Me? Having ticklish secrets? Preposterous! N-Nyehehehe!... Heeeh... WELL, GOOD NIGHT!” He flopped down in bed and fake snored away.

\----

Sans grinned. "ya found somethin', didn't ya, kid?"

"Mayyyybeeee," Frisk replied, snickering.

"oh, c'mon, help a monster out, huh? what'd you find?"

"I don't knowwwwww~" She was purposefully goading him now.

He hesitated for a moment, but a bit of playfulness crept back and returned to him. Geez, how'd she do that? His brother's dramatics were getting to him too. Poking his fingers over the blanket he prodded and pinched at her belly and snickered as she squealed.

"i have my methods of finding out, ya know." He slipped his fingers under her arm, wiggling where she had surprised him before and was pleased to see she was incredibly responsive to it too, kicking and squirming and shrilly squeaking out giddy laughter.

"Hehehe~! Ahall right! I'll tell~! Haha~haa!" She didn't sound defeated about it.

"good choice, kid." He leaned down and motioned her over, inviting her to whisper it to him. She did and now his snickers were low and devious. "oh, reeeeally?"

Sitting up, he looked at Papyrus. "hey, bro ... you never told me you had such a _hip_ ticklish spot."

\----

Eyes widening, Papyrus fell completely still in shock, gulping despite having nothing in his mouth to swallow. “Uhhh...... Wh-What are you t-talking about, brother? I have nohoho idea what you're talking about! Nope!”

\----

Everything about Sans ached — his sockets, his bones, his spirit. He needed this. Just a little bit of that happiness he'd had prior to closing his eyes for sleep that night. Clenching and lightly pushing his fingers, he magically pinned Papyrus down, gently making his way past Frisk and crawling on top of his brother. "you don't? oh, then you shouldn't be bothered if i do this." He chuckled, finding Papyrus's hips through the blanket and softly scratching along the top of the bones.

\----

Papyrus squealed loudly and started kicking out his legs, making a total mess of his bed, as he struggled to reach his brother's hands to push them away, seeming unable to speak through his hysterical laughter.

\----

Sans withdrew his hands so he could laugh into them. "oh my gosh, pap, that’s hilarious!" His eyes were arched in delight, fingers reaching back down to poke and tease at him more.

\----

“N-NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! N-AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! SAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!” He was unable to get a single word out as he thrashed around uncontrollably, nearly hitting both Sans and Frisk on a few occasions with his flailing arms; it tickled him so much he couldn't even control what his own body did anymore.

\----

"woah! heheh!" After a few near-pummels, Sans stopped to give Papyrus some respite. "you okay, there, bro? seems a little intense for ya."

\----

He panted heavily and fell limp. “S-Sorry... It's just way too ticklish....” His face began to glow bright orange.

\----

"well, at least you try to keep that one covered," Sans teased, gently spidering his fingers up Papyrus's spine through the blanket.

\----

Papyrus squealed and giggled, clenching his hands into fists and bringing them up to his chest. “NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEE! I-I HAVE TROHOHOUBLE FINDING LOHOHOHOHONG CLOTHES, ALRIHIHIHIGHT?”

\----

"heheheh, i know, pap. i'm just havin' fun with ya," Sans said affectionately, lifting his magic from him. Leaning down, he tenderly clicked his teeth against his brother's skull before settling back on the other side of Frisk — who was happily enthralled with the whole thing — and tugged up the even messier-than-before sheets. "i'm so glad i have you, bro. and you too, squirt." He closed his eyes, feeling a bit more uplifted.

\----

“Aww, thank you, Sans. We're both happy to have you, too.” He yawned, now feeling very fatigued, especially after that little tickle fight the brothers just had. “Well, I'm going to bed. Good night, you two.” Curling up next to Frisk and Sans, he hugged them both close to him and snuggled with them.

\----

Feeling secure with his brother and the human with him, Sans was able to get to sleep more easily than he'd thought.

Pinned comfortably between the two skeletal monsters, Frisk smiled happily, glad she could share the night with her new friends. She drifted off with no trouble.

\----

The scents of pancakes, eggs, and bacon wafted into Papyrus' bedroom, making their way into Sans' and Frisk's dreams.

\----

Frisk woke, coaxed by her nose and stomach. She sat up, briefly rubbing her eyes. Seeing Sans still asleep, she didn't want him to wake up alone, so she gently tapped his shoulder, saying his name a few times until his sockets slid open. "Smells like breakfast," she said.

Sans pushed himself to a sit. "wow, did pap go all out or something? heh." The aches had lessened quite a bit after resting and his voice was pretty much back to normal. There was still a noticeable weariness to his sockets, however. "why don't you head down, i'll be there in a minute, okay?"

"Okay." Giving him a smile, she slid off the bed and walked out of the room.

Sans popped over into his, taking a deep breath. Shedding his thin hoodie and t-shirt, he went through his drawer and found a heavier grey shirt and a similarly blue-colored jacket with thicker padding and lined with a bit of fur. Putting them on made him feel a little bit safer. Going through his sock collection — which had grown exponentially ever since the tickle tussling had started — he found an extra woolly pair to slip over his feet, and chose his sneakers over slippers. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he headed downstairs.

\----

Papyrus could be heard humming his ringtone tune — Bonetrousle — as he danced a bit in place and prepared breakfast: scrambling the eggs, prodding the bacon around, and flipping pancakes.

\----

Grinning, Frisk went to Papyrus's side to dance with him, imitating his movements.

Sans was happy to see his brother so spirited. "woah, pap, looks like a breakfast fit for Asgore there, heh." He went to the refrigerator to retrieve his bottle of ketchup.

\----

“Why, thank you, Sans! Oh?” He noticed Frisk dancing alongside him before grinning and picking her up to spin her around. “Go-o-o-ood mo-o-o-orni-i-ing, huma-a-a-an!!”

\----

Frisk giggled shrilly. "Whee~hehe~heee! Haha, morning." She reached her arms out wanting to hug him.

Sans pried open the lid and took a small swig of the condiment, leaning against the counter, watching with a slight grin.

\----

Papyrus stopped spinning, giving Frisk a big hug before placing her down, and then picked up Sans. “Your turn, lazybones! NYEH HEH HEEEEEH!~” He started spinning around.

\----

"hey, woa-hoh!" Sans's eyes slightly widened in surprise and he barely had time to clutch his ketchup bottle safely against himself before he was lifted. His eyes arched and chuckles rang from him in merriment and hilarity.

\----

He stopped and squeezed Sans tightly in a hug before putting him back down. “Now, then! Who's ready for breakfast! Unfortunately I can't find the spaghetti... or the sauce... or the pots... Strange... So I made pancakes, bacon, and eggs instead! Nyeh heh heh heh!”

\----

Frisk started eagerly bouncing, but Sans put his ketchup on the counter with a smirk that meant business. "hold up, big guy. just 'cause you're the tall one doesn't mean you don't get a turn." Turning his brother's SOUL blue, he maneuvered Papyrus into his arms, bridal-style, adjusting the gravity enough that he could hold him, and spun around on his heel.

He still collapsed after a couple of revolutions, however, snickering and snorting, and lifting the spell — which in retrospect probably wasn't a good idea as his brother's full weight was now on top of him.

\----

“W-WHA-AAAAAH!” Not at all prepared, Papyrus let out a yelp as he was spun around, and when they both collapsed he laid on him, moaning dizzily. “ThaNkS, brOTheR...~”

\----

"anytime, bro...!" Sans wheezed. "okay, i think the human's gonna start gnawing our bones if we make her wait any longer, heh."

Frisk folded her arms and nodded along playfully.

\----

Shaking his head clear, Papyrus climbed off, helping Sans back up to his feet. “Very well, then! Now keep in mind, this was my first time making anything other than spaghetti, so don't be disappointed if it didn't turn out as great as I had hoped.” He grinned sheepishly before dishing out two pancakes, a few scoops of eggs, and three bacon strips for each member.

\----

Sans leaned back with his plate, nibbling a little bit of each. He still had little appetite, but he wasn't going to refuse a new dish that his brother had specially made. Honestly, it was nice, and rather comforting, even if a little more practice wouldn't hurt. The eggs were a little on the bland side, but nothing a dousing of ketchup couldn't fix. "hey, you did a great job, bro!" Sans smiled, trying to eat a little more than his stomach could manage.

Ravenous, Frisk ate everything off her plate, licking her lips and nodding in agreement with a hum of satisfaction.

\----

“Wowie, you two like it that much? That just proves yet again that the Great Papyrus is the ultimate master chef! Nyeheheheh!” Digging into his own food, he grinned brightly. “Oh, boy, this is pretty good, isn't it?”

\----

Sans nodded with arched eyes. "yeah, bro, your spaghetti's pretty good, but i wouldn't mind if you tried branching out like this more often."

\----

“Hmmm... You know what? That's exactly what I'll do! I'll become master chef in ALL WAYS POSSIBLE! NYAH HAH HAH! But of course spaghetti will still be my primary dish.”

\----

"that's a great idea, pap! the _pasta-bilities_ are endless!" Chuckling, he stacked his half-eaten plate on Frisk's empty one. "here, kid, i'm full, and you're gonna need a lot of energy for your journey."

Frisk shrugged with a smile and a, "Thanks," resuming eating.

\----

He rolled his metaphorical eyes, choosing to ignore Sans' pun, and resumed eating until he finished and placed the plates in the sink. “I'll get around to washing them later. For now, who would like to play outside in the snow as promised?”

\----

Frisk hopped up excitedly. "I'm ready."

"no, you're not, kiddo. I know you went through all those japes like that yesterday, but you're more susceptible to cold than we are, so you need something a little warmer to wear than that. you think we got anything suitable, pap?"

\----

“Hmmm... I've got the perfect idea!” Papyrus took off his scarf and wrapped it carefully around Frisk's neck. “There we go! I'm a skeleton, I don't feel the cold, so you can use my scarf to keep yourself warm!”

\----

Frisk looked down and gently clutched it, smiling. "It's so soft."

Sans hesitated for a second, then softly sighed and surrendered his jacket. He didn't want to give her the hoodie crumpled on his room floor since it was probably pretty dirty by now, having not been washed in so long. Papyrus had been nice enough — or grossed out enough — to have washed all the clothes in his drawer. "here, kiddo, ya might want this too." He slipped it over her shoulders.

She finished putting it on, zipping it up. "Thank you," she told both of them.

\----

“But of course, human! Now you are all ready for a fun snow day! Let's go!” He scooped Frisk up under one arm and Sans in the other, running outside into the snow.

\----

Frisk giggled happily, the chilly air nipped at her cheeks, and filled her with excitement and determination.

Sans grinned widely and lazily, comfortable in his brother's hold.

\----

Papyrus ran to an area with a large pile of snow and placed the two down. “Watch how deep this snow is!” He ran to the pile, leaping into it, and he practically disappeared in a mountain of snow. Muffled laughter soon followed from inside the heap.

\----

Frisk gasped in glee, taking a running leap after him, vanishing into the powdery mound as well.

Sans rocked on his heels for a moment, then lethargically fished the two of them out by their SOULs. "careful, i don't _snow_ what i'd do if i lost ya."

\----

“SAAAAANS!” Papyrus pouted at his older brother — or rather he pouted as much as he could without lips. Scooping the snow off his body into a snowball, he chucked it at Sans. “NYEH!”

\----

Sans dodged seemingly effortlessly, still wearing his lazy grin. He gave an exaggerated shrug and a wink. "heh, _ice_ try, bro, but you don't think i'm just gonna take it, do you?"

Frisk giggled, watching them, bending down to gather snow of her own.

\----

Papyrus smirked deviously. “I think it's time for a two-on-one SNOWBALL FIGHT!” He balled up more snow on him and chucked it at Sans.

\----

Frisk eagerly joined with Papyrus, scooping and rolling and throwing snow as fast as she could.

Sans continued to dodge everything that was hurled at him, almost in some gracefully, sluggish dance. He extended his hand, pointer-finger out. "hey, i think your aim's a bit _flake-y_ , there. don't have a _melt_ -down just ‘cause you can't hit me."

\----

Papyrus scooped up as much snow as possible and started throwing snowballs at his brother with great speed that could easily rival Undyne's.

\----

Now the challenge kicked up, and Sans laid off on the jokes to concentrate. His brother's speed and the human's added unpredictability were all he could process if he didn't want to get hit. If there was one thing he was good at though, it was avoiding attacks, especially projectiles. Part of his magic included the ability to slightly affect time. Maybe because space and time were connected. Maybe because he was sensitive to time itself and it's malleability. But he could slow it down just enough for himself to see where anything incoming might land and dodge out of the way. It was a bit draining to use for extended periods, like teleporting too often in a short period might be, but it was handy to keep himself alive. Or to show off. He hoped they would tire out before he did. He couldn't keep dodging forever.

\----

Soon enough, Papyrus began to grow really tired after a long time of throwing and dodging, and eventually all the snowballs stopped coming. He collapsed to his hands and knees and panted heavily.

\----

Sans was panting heavily, but still standing ... until he allowed time to catch up to himself normally and a wave of dizziness hit. He fell backwards into the snow, wheezing out low chuckles.

Frisk picked up two handfuls of snow, gently setting one pile on Papyrus's head, then walking over and doing the same to Sans. She grinned in victory.

\----

“Y...Yes, tiny... human... You... win... Oh, stars... How does he... do that?... For a lazybones, he... s-sure can move...”

\----

"...hff ... hh ... well ... it helps ... when i have ... hh, someone ... great as ... you to practice with ... bro ... heh...." Sans continued to lay sprawled, though he wore a large, genuinely happy grin.

\----

Once he and Sans finally caught their breath — even though they didn't even have lungs to do that — he stood up and helped Sans up to his feet. “Hey, why don't the three of us work together to build one great big snowman?”

\----

"thanks bro. hey, sounds like a good idea."

Frisk nodded eagerly. "Yeah, sounds fun."

Sans chuckled. "i guess we can all start rolling out the sections; whoever's snowball is biggest can be the base, and smallest the head."

\----

“In that case, my snowball shall be the largest snowball any snowball have ever seen! NYEHEHEHEHE!” Papyrus ran off to start making a snowball.

\----

Sans grinned at his brother before starting on his own. He didn't put too much effort into it, but a little more than the usual lumps he would make — at least it was snowball-shaped for once. Nodding in satisfaction once it reached a size a little bigger than his own head, he lay down in the snow, resting his skull against it and closing his eyes.

Frisk found a nice, untouched patch to start rolling out her own. It grew bigger than Sans's, but soon became too heavy for her to push any longer.

\----

He kept pushing his snowball around, showing to be a bit bigger than both Sans' and Frisk's, but as he kept pushing he began to moan uncomfortably and clutch his abdominal region.

\----

Sans's eyes snapped open at the sound. He sat up against his snowball. "hey pap, you're not strainin' yourself too hard, are ya? you okay?"

\----

“No, I'm fine... I just feel... queasy. Which is strange considering I don't have a stomach!”

\----

Sans continued to watch him in concern. "maybe somethin' you ... ate ...?" _Oh, no._ If it was, then the kid...! Not to mention his brother's self-esteem. "maybe you should sit for a minute, huh?"

\----

“But you and the human are both fine, and I ate the same thing you did.... Owiiie...!” He collapsed into the snow and clutched his abdominal area, gritting his teeth in pain. “I don't feel so good.... It feels like my body is rejecting those pancakes or something.... But they tasted perfectly fine. I followed the cookbook to a T; I used milk and sugar and flour and eggs. What's wrong, Sans?...”

\----

Sans hopped up and jogged over to his brother, kneeling beside him, gently rubbing his back. He wished he was good at healing magic. "we'll figure it out, pap. you wanna go see a doctor, or somethin'?"

\----

“Well, I don't want to trouble anyone.... That would just take out playing time for you and Frisk anyway.... Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, you two just go finish that snowman....” He smiled weakly up at Sans.

\----

Sans put a hand on Papyrus's shoulder, giving him a slightly anxious look. "hey, your well-being's important to me, bro. if it's bad enough that you wanna see someone, i wanna know, okay? don't feel bad about needing to take time to take care of you."

Frisk walked over with a small armload of sticks and rocks to use for decoration. She frowned. "Everything okay?"

\----

“But ... I'm the one who should be taking care of you.... Not the other way around.... But ... okay, I suppose.... Don't worry, tiny human, the Great Papyrus will be fi-MMMPH!” He quickly covered his mouth, his face turning a bit green, and he struggled to swallow down what was rising up in his throat. “Oh, stars!... What was THAT?!... I've never felt anything like that before, and it tasted so bad!...”

\----

"oh, geez, pap! i ... i'm really worried!" Sans was at a loss what to do.

Frisk set the materials down, looking sympathetic. "You look kinda sick, Papyrus, have you never thrown up before? It's kinda gross, but it's supposed to get the bad stuff out. It's not fun, but if it happens again, just let it out."

\----

“Throw up?... I've never heard that term before, I didn't even know skeletons could do that... I-I don't want to, though, it tasted really bad and it felt really we—” He was cut off by a little gag followed by a nasty cough. Unable to choke it down this time around, he bent over to vomit a mixture of breakfast and orange gooey magic into the snow.

\----

Sans was absolutely horrified. He looked at the human. "i-is that supposed to happen...?"

Frisk nodded. "If your body doesn't like something, it tries to get it out. At least that's how it works for humans." She gingerly patted the taller skeleton's back.

\----

“Ohhhh....” He finished and coughed a bit. “Oh, stars, that was horrid.... Why did my body reject that if you two are okay?!...”

\----

"Maybe yours had something spoiled that ours didn't?" Frisk suggested. "Or you might be allergic to something. It could have been even just an ingredient, like sometimes humans can't eat nuts or berries or dairy and stuff without getting sick. Have you ever felt bad after eating something before?"

\----

“No.... But that's because I eat nothing but spaghetti. Perhaps I shouldn't branch off from the dish after all.”

\----

Sans hid his disappointment; it had been nice to try something new, and without Undyne's influence on the preparation, Papyrus really had potential as a cook. "are you at least feeling any better, pap? ...now that you got all that outta your system?"

\----

“I... I think so... I feel very weak, though... Could someone get me some water please?”

\----

"yeah, hang on, i'll be right back." Sans uncharacteristically jogged away.

Frisk stayed by Papyrus's side. "Sorry you had to go through that. First time throwing up is the worst. I mean, it's never not bad, but it's the suckiest when you don't know what to expect. Sometimes, humans can get a sickness that makes them throw up all the time for a few days. I got it once, and I thought I never wanted to eat anything ever again. But maybe you'll find out what made you sick and then you can just avoid that from now on."

Sans returned with a water bottle in hand, offering it to Papyrus. "here, bro."

\----

“Perhaps... Thank you, little human. You're comforting words of encouragement and empathy are making me feel so much better already.” He hugged her gently before taking the water from Sans. “Thank you, brother....” He began to drink it quickly, but ended up choking on it, and sure enough another bout of vomiting followed.

\----

Sans made a noise of distress. "oh geeze! is he allergic to water now!?" He looked at the human helplessly.

Frisk patted Papyrus's back, frowning. "Oh! Your stomach ... or whatever, is still upset! You should just swish and spit the water to get the taste and the vomit out!"

\----

“O-Okay....” He took in a bit of water and, somehow without a tongue to move the water around or cheeks to keep it in, swished it around before spitting it out. “Blech....”

\----

Sans crouched down, trying not to look as freaked out as he felt. "i think we should all maybe just head home. you sure you don't wanna see a doc or anything, buddy?"

\----

“Okay.... No, I don't think I need a doctor.... I believe the human has helped me enough; perhaps all I'll need is rest....”

\----

Sans sighed, calming down a bit. "i'm glad you were here, squirt, i'd never seen anything like this before."

"I'm happy to help."

Tentatively placing his fingers on his brother's skull, Sans pet with slow, gentle strokes. "can you walk, pap? or do you want me to carry you?"

\----

He struggled to stand, but his weak, wiggly legs gave out and he nearly collapsed into his vomit. “OW! I ... I think you'll need to carry me....”

\----

"oh, woah—! careful! here...." Sans slid his arms under his brother, turning his SOUL blue so he could adjust the gravity in order to pick him up. "one, two — up! there we go." His magic did most of the work, but Sans physically made sure his back and legs were comfortably supported as he headed for their house.

Frisk followed closely behind them. She ran up to the door to open it so that Sans wouldn't have to put Papyrus down.

"thanks, kiddo." He went to the couch, about to place him on it when he recalled that Papyrus found it uncomfortable for his spine. Sans winced, giving his head a small shake. When had his brother ever said that? His memory came up blank, but he was certain about this fact. A little uneasily, he backed away from the sofa, heading up the stair to his brother's room, placing him in his own bed. "there ya are, pap. is this okay? you need anything else?"

\----

Papyrus moaned a bit as he curled up in his bed. “Would you mind reading to me until I fell asleep?...”

\----

Sans relaxed with an easy smile. "of course, i'll do that, bro."

Frisk peeked inside.

"oh, hey, kiddo, you want to hear a story too?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to explore Snowdin a little bit more, but I'll be back to see if Papyrus is okay."

"well, hey, that's sweet of ya, kid."

"Can I hold onto these until I get back?" she asked, indicating the clothing they had lent her.

"of course. you have fun, okay?"

She smiled and disappeared down the steps.

"heh ... all right, what would you like to hear, pap?"

\----

“ ...Do you know anything about our parents, Sans?”

\----

Sans jolted at the question, smile majorly faltering. Why was Papyrus asking this now? Oh, geez, what could he say? Falling to a heavy sit on the edge of the race-car bed, Sans hunched his shoulders, glancing over. "i ... i wish i had something to tell you, papyrus. i really wish i did. i ... think it might be floatin' around in here somewhere," he lightly tapped his own skull with a finger a few times, then let his hand fall, "but, it's trapped, or blocked, or locked away or somethin'...."

\----

“Oh....” He looked down, very disappointed. “Well.... Why do you think they left us? They wished upon an Echo Flower for us, so they must've wanted us! I don't understand....”

\----

Sans tensed and shifted uncomfortably, but looked up, a little struck by the comment. He smiled gently. "well, of course we were wanted, pap. we wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case, right? ...maybe they didn't wanna leave us. maybe something happened to them, or maybe they had a good reason. i..." His fingers lightly clenched at the bed's edge. "i don't understand either. but, they left us with each other. we coulda been all alone, but at least they gave us that much." He scooted up closer to his brother's side so he could pet his skull. "i'm so very glad that i have you, papyrus. i don't know what my life would be like without you, but i know i don't ever want to find out."

\----

Papyrus smiled and sat up to reach Sans so he could bring him into a hug. “I'm glad, too, brother. I wouldn't rather have any other intelligent and loving yet lazy bag of bones than you.”

\----

"heheheh...." Sans melted into the embrace, nuzzling against him. "aww, thanks, bro. you, uh ... you keep me grounded often, ya know? your optimism and passion are contagious, heheh. i've got the coolest brother in the world!"

\----

“Well, of course I'm cool; I was raised by you after all. Nyeh heh heh!” He gave him an affectionate little squeeze before letting him go and laying back down.

\----

Sans arched his eyes with a grin, chuckling and feeling a bit humbly pleased at the compliment.

After the feelings washed over him, he looked down, hands folding in his lap, legs squeezing together a little tensely. "pap ... about last night...." His voice was tight and low. "...i think i was kidnapped."

\----

Papyrus grew stiff and fell completely still, his sockets wide with shock; it took a few attempts before Papyrus could finally get words out of his working jaw. “You ... you were kidnapped?... Is that the reason why you smelled like dirt and flowers?... But who would do that to you? You haven't done anything to deserve that! How DARE someone kidnaps the Great Papyrus' brother?! Once I find out who it was that fiend will wish they never messed with the skelebros, I promise you that!” Confusion and fear quickly bubbled into fury, an expression anyone rarely saw — if even at all — and he gripped the bed sheets, fists so tight they were trembling.

\----

"look, i-i don't want you to worry...!" Sans started trembling too. "maybe it was just another nightmare, after all, but ... oh gosh, pap—!" His breath hitched and his hand flew up to his mouth, muffling a small, distressed whine. "...i ... i was so scared...!"

\----

Papyrus forced his fury to die back down; after all, he couldn't properly comfort Sans if he was too upset. He placed Sans in his lap and hugged him close, rubbing his back comfortingly. “It's okay, Sans. It's all over now. I ... I'm sorry.... I never should have left you alone last night.... There I was playing with Frisk, having not a care in the world, and you were being kidnapped and....” He recalled Sans' anxiety towards the mention of tickle fights last night, as well as his thick and protective attire; he put two and two together and he let out a small, horrified gasp. “Sans.... You ... you were tickle tortured last night, weren't you?...”

\----

"it's not your fault...!" Sans gasped out, clinging tightly to his brother, anchored by his comforting touch. He sniffled and brought a hand up to his own face, fingers clawed in stress as Papyrus guessed what had happened. It was humiliating. "...yes," he quietly confirmed, tears starting to slide down his cheeks.

\----

“How could anyone do this to you?... You were finally beginning to enjoy it.... But now.... Now it seems you've been scarred.... How could someone do this to my brother?...” He hugged him close and began to weep into his shirt.

\----

"i don't know ... i don't know...," Sans whimpered out. "i-it didn't have a SOUL, it said it was a god that was going to punish me. i-it _sounds_ like a nightmare, doesn't it...? that couldn't have really h-happened, right?"

\----

“I ... I don't know.... I don't know anyone who could not have a SOUL.... Except....” He gasped in horror. It all made sense: a creature with no SOUL, the lingering smell of dirt and flowers, someone who held a grudge against Sans.... There was no other creature in the Underground that matched that same description.... No one except.... No, he couldn't tell, Sans. If he did, he'd probably freak out, and that's the last thing he needed right now. Perhaps he’d tell him another time when he’d calmed down enough. “Er... I'm not sure... But don't worry, Sans, I won't let anything like that happen ever again. As a matter of fact, perhaps I should go back with you and Frisk, just to be safe.”

\----

Sans buried his face against Papyrus's neck. It wasn't the same without his scarf, but still comforting. "th-thanks, bro, b-but only if you're f-feelin' up to it. i-i won't let myself be caught off-guard like th-that again...."

He was quiet for a few moments, then tilted his head up, sockets swimming with tears. "i...—!" His voice cracked. "i don't want to h-hate it. i d-don't want that th-thing to take th-that away from me...!"

\----

“I can always rest later. Besides, I'm starting to feel a little bit better now; I'll just have to take it easy.” His heart sank at Sans' confession, and tears started swelling up in his sockets again. “I-I don't want you to h-hate it, either.... It's one of m-my favorite bonding act-tivities with you....” He sniffed and wiped his tears away before wiping away Sans'. “Perhaps ... we could slowly rebuild your enjoyment of it? We could even use a much shorter safe word that's easier and faster to say, like ... red perhaps? But if you're not up for it yet, that's perfectly fine, too.

\----

Sans leaned appreciatively into his brother's hand as his tears were wiped away. With his most recent anxiety and worries out in the open, and with Papyrus's assurances and support, he felt quite a lot better already. Though there was still so much he kept bottled inside, he never wanted Papyrus to be overwhelmed by his troubles or stressed over him. He glanced up again. "that sounds.... we could.... i'd.... i think i'd like to at least try. i don't trust anyone more than you." He closed his eyes and softly sighed, though with a small smile. "i'm glad you're startin' to feel better, pap."

\----

“M-Me, too....” He felt guilty for lying. He didn't really feel too much better; the fact of the matter was he was still absolutely livid that someone would harm his brother the way they did, but he was just keeping that emotion secret. But he supposed it wasn't all a lie. After all, there's still a chance for Sans to rekindle his enjoyment for tickling. And Sans did have a point, he was pretty much the only one for the job; that praise certainly did wonders in calming him down and raising back his hope. “So, you just let me know when you want to give it a try. Meanwhile, let's go find Frisk again and try to forget this over a cup of hot cocoa. Frisk is probably cold despite all those clothes she's wearing.”

\----

"okay. thanks papyrus." Sans gave him a final nuzzle before pushing himself up, now much more calm. He slid off the bed and offered his hand. "let's go make sure the kid's keepin' her nose clean. heh, though i supposed she's kept outta trouble so far. i think i really like this kid."

\----

“Let's hope so, for all of our sakes.” He chuckled as he took Sans' hand and climbed out of bed. “Yes, she most certainly is a wonderful human. It makes everything Undyne said about humans completely invalid. ...Undyne.” Falling silent, he looked very troubled. “Sans.... What if ... when Frisk finally leaves ... Undyne tries to kill her?... She doesn't know yet that Frisk doesn't want to fight anyone. What if she.... What if I lose Frisk?...”

\----

Sans's expression softened. "hey, pap, don't worry, huh? i'll keep on eyesocket out for her. and i know you'll do your part too. plus, this kid's pretty determined, she's, uh, not gonna go down too easily, heh.... i think undyne'll be pleasantly surprised."

\----

Papyrus smiled, reassured. “You're right. Thanks, Sans, you always know what to say.”

\----

Sans's smile grew and he shot Papyrus a sly glance. "oh, well, you know me. i'm no _numbskull_." He started heading for the stairs.

\----

Papyrus stopped in his tracks, then buried his face in his hands and trembled a bit.

\----

When he didn't hear any exasperated sighs or annoyed utterances, Sans stopped too, turning around. "...pap? you okay...?"

\----

“Please, Sans.... Just leave me...,” lifting his head, he smirked playfully, “...to my _skulking_!”

\----

Sans stared wide-eye for a second, then doubled over in hysterical laughter. "oho my gahash, pap—! ahaha, you got mehe good! oh wow!" He wrapped his arms around himself, unable to contain his mirth.

\----

Papyrus giggled a bit. “I knew you'd like that one. Well, don't get too used to it, for I won't do it so often. Only when opportunity calls. Now come on, you lazybones!” He scooped Sans up and trotted downstairs.

\----

"heheh, that doesn't make me any less proud," Sans replied, grin still widely stretched. He nestled comfortably in his brother's hold.

Frisk was in the Northern part of Snowdin, curiously watching from afar the tiny slime monster children arguing over who would play as the human and the monster for their game.

\----

Walking outside, he started looking around, still holding Sans. “Human! Human, where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

\----

Papyrus's voice carried pretty far, and when he was close enough, Frisk hopped up at the sound. She ran over with a smile. "Oh, you're already up? You must be feeling better."

\----

“Yes, the Great Papyrus is feeling so much better! Now, why don't we have some hot cocoa? I'm sure we'll be able to have some more fun in the snow... _choco-later_ on!”

\----

Frisk bounced eagerly in excitement, nodding vigorously with a giggle.

"pffffffft—! heheehee!" Sans lightly kicked his legs, eyes arched, laughing into his hand. "oh my gosh, i c-can't hahandle it!"

\----

“Nyehehehe!” He giggled as he began his walk back home, holding Frisk's hand with one hand as he carried Sans in the other arm. He hated to admit it, but making puns was ... kind of fun. “I assume everyone will want _marsh-marrows_ in their hot cocoa?”

\----

Frisk nodded, hiding her smile with her hand enjoying their interaction.

"aaaahaa—! ahehee didn't know you had such a big _punny bone_ , pap! oh my gahahash!" Sans was overtaken by hilarity, dangling in his brother's hold with helpless laughter.

\----

Caught up in the joy everyone was emitting, he couldn't suppress a snort at Sans' pun. “Oh, my God, Sans, that was terrible.”

\----

"hehehe, but you're smiling—! hahahaa!" His fingers were curled up against his teeth, sockets slightly squinted in his giddiness, brimming over with giggles.

Frisk opened up the door with her free hand.

\----

He couldn't help but giggle as well, as if Sans' giddiness was radiating off him, and he walked in the house before placing his brother down. “Well, you two stay right here while I prepare the hot cocoa!” He trotted into the kitchen.

\----

"Okay," Frisk said happily.

Sans took a few moments to calm down, still occasionally chuckling, before walking to the couch and sitting. He patted the spot next to him. "up by me, kiddo."

She hopped up next to him, then slipped out of Sans's jacket, handing it to him. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."

"oh, no problem, kid." He put it on again, feeling that extra layer of security and sighed.

Taking off the scarf as well, she carefully folded it up and set it on her other side on the couch.

"did ya see anything interesting out there?"

Frisk nodded. "Lots of different kinds of monsters live here, don't they?"

"got that right. but every one of 'em's pretty special. like you, kiddo." He reached over and lightly ruffled her hair.

She giggled. "Yeah, everyone's so nice. And fun to play with.”

"yeah...."

\----

After a few minutes, Papyrus walked back in balancing three mugs of hot cocoa on an arm. “Here we go! Two milk hot cocoas with extra mini marshmallows for my coolest friend and punny brother, and a water hot cocoa with extra-extra mini marshmallows for yours truly!” He handed the two their respective mugs.

\----

"wow, pap, you're the best!" Sans took the mug that was handed to him, enjoying the heat against his hands that he could slightly perceive through his bones. He took a sip, able to thoroughly appreciate the warmth as he swallowed it down. "mm, perfect, pap. thanks!"

Frisk held her mug more carefully, blowing on the drink to let it cool. "You don't like milk cocoa?" she inquired to Papyrus.

\----

“I've actually been thinking a lot about it.... I've had all the ingredients I made for pancakes at least once; all of them except milk. While it's true that I drank milk at Grillby's, it turns out he served lactose-free milk — or soy milk if you will — but the milk I purchased wasn't. That's when I learned that I was having an allergic reaction to the milk in the pancakes. Perhaps I'm... lactose intolerant or something.”

\----

"Ohhh!" Frisk nodded. "That makes sense. But ... don't you need milk? I thought milk was good for bones?"

"heh, there's plenty of other sources for that, kiddo." Sans glanced at Papyrus. "hey, does this mean you'll try new recipes still?" He looked a bit hopeful.

\----

“Well ... it's only dairy products I'll have to avoid eating myself.... And you and Frisk seemed to really enjoy breakfast.... Sooooo....” Striking a pose, he grinned confidently. “Yes! The Great Papyrus shall retire from limiting his cooking skills to just pasta and branch out with new recipes! I shall become master chef in all the culinary arts in no time! NYEH HEH HEH!”

\----

Sans grinned happily. "i'm sure you will, bro!"

Frisk finally deemed her cocoa cool enough to drink, taking a careful sip and smiling at the taste. She nipped up a few marshmallows as well. "This is really good. Perfect for the weather, hehe."

\----

“Yes, little human, I have been known to make some of the greatest hot cocoa Snowdin Town has ever seen! You know, it's actually a recipe Sans and I developed together when we were baby bones!”

\----

"Really?" She asked in interest.

Sans smiled. "hey, yeah, the culinary life must have always been in your destiny, pap."

\----

“Well, besides being a member of the Royal Guard, yes. As your destiny was to be a funny bone.” He gave Sans a small little poke on his ribs.

\----

"gh—!" Sans lightly flinched, but his smile held firm. "heh, what can i say? the world needs some bad laughs as much as anything else, right?"

\----

“Yes, I suppose so.” He took a small sip of his hot cocoa before sitting down next to Sans on the couch. “Hey, Frisk, you wouldn't mind me asking what it's like up on the surface, would you? I've always been curious about what it's like up there.”

\----

Sans leaned against his brother, drinking his cocoa quietly.

Frisk cradled her now-not-scalding mug in her lap and thought for a moment. "There's no ceiling when you're outside. And during the day, if it's nice, it's bright and warm, and during the night it's so dark you can see the stars way out in space...."

Sans's SOUL suddenly began to ache. The reading material he was drawn to most was all about the endless cosmos above that he'd never seen.

"There's so many people — humans, doing so many different things, and it can be noisy and crowded. But there's wide open, quiet places too. The air's a little different, and things are always changing, but sometimes it feels like everything stays the same too. It can be really pretty, but the Underground's pretty too ... in a different way. It's hard to describe...."

\----

“Wowie... It all sounds so fascinating! Do people up there like spaghetti, too?”

\----

Frisk giggled. "I haven't met anyone who doesn't like spaghetti. People eat it all the time. There's whole restaurants that are dedicated to pasta."

\----

Papyrus gasped and squealed loudly. “REALLY?~ Oh, I can't wait for the day when we finally escape the underground! I want to visit these pasta restaurants and meet new humans and become their friends!”

\----

Frisk smiled at him. "...Maybe, when I get out of here ... maybe there's something I can do to help you guys get out too."

Sans could have cried in long-suppressed joy.

\----

“You'd do that for us? Oh, Frisk!” Leaping up, he picked Frisk up, spinning her around, knocking down the mugs of hot cocoa in his mirth.

\----

Frisk giggled and squealed. "Hehe~hee! Well, I want everyone to be happy. Especially my great new friends."

Sans grinned at his brother's reaction, slowly bending to grab the spilled mugs out of the way.

\----

“Oh, Frisk, you are absolutely wonderful! I am so glad it was you who fell down here! ...Hold on. Why _did_ you fall down here?”

\----

Frisk's expression fell at his question. "...I was lonely," was all she said.

\----

He fell still and his eyes arched in surprise before his brows furrow in worry. “Lonely? How so? Do you not have a family up there?”

\----

"They're all gone." Her eyes looked a little distant. It was the simplest thing to say, even if not entirely true. But the situation with her only sibling was too complicated and troubling than she had the heart to explain. "There's all these rumors that people disappear on the Mountain ... I wanted to see if I maybe I could find them ... It's ... hard seeing people happy with their families when you don't have one anymore." She looked up. "But when I got down here, I realized how silly that was. I know I can't get them back. So I'm going to get back to the surface and do the best I can!"

\----

His face fell in sympathy. “Oh... I'm so sorry, Frisk... If I would've known, I wouldn't have insensitively asked such a question... Sans and I don't know what happened to our parents, but at least we have each other, but you... didn't have anyone... Well... Worry not, little human, for now you have two brand new older brothers! You shall never be alone again, I promise!”

\----

"yeah, kiddo, we're happy to be here for ya. you'll hafta put up with us whether you like it or not!" Sans really meant it.

She smiled widely and hugged the tall skeleton. "No, it's okay. Thanks, Papyrus. Thanks, Sans. That means so much to me." Her eyes were a bit misty, voice a bit quavery.

\----

“Awww! Sans! We have a sister! This makes me so happy!” He started tearing up as well, and he reached out to grab Sans so he could join in the group hug. “I love you guys!”

\----

Sans let himself be dragged in with a lazy, happy grin. "best news all day!" He wrapped his arms around them, suddenly serious in his happiness, nuzzling the two of them closely. "love ya guys."

Frisk echoed the sentiment with soft happy crying.

\----

“I love you guys, too! Mmmmm!” He gave them both a little affectionate squeeze.

\----

Frisk squeezed back tightly, filled with determination, and her tears stopped. "I want you guys to see the Surface!" she declared. "I should get going soon so that we can all get there sooner, together."

\----

“Oh, how I wish you could stay longer. But you are right, you have a mission to complete. Would you like anything else before you have to go?” He placed Frisk and Sans down.

\----

Frisk thought for a moment, then shook her head, looking at them both with a smile. "I'm already so happy. I've had such a great time with you. I hope you both stay feeling good too ... I want my skelebros to be happy." She giggled, taking a hand of each of them and gently squeezing. "We'll all get out of here and then I'll show you the stars and the spaghetti restaurants and everything else you want to see."

\----

“Oh, Frisk, that would most definitely be a dream come true! Right, Sans?”

\----

Sans almost couldn't speak he was so choked up. "...yeah. that's what i've been dreamin' about too." He wiped at his sockets. She really cared about them. There was hope after all. He wanted to believe in this so badly. "thank you, frisk."

She grinned happily and stepped back, giving them a wave. "I'll see you later."

\----

“Good bye, tiny human! Have a safe journey!”

\----

"Thank you. Goodbye!"

Sans waved her off, watching as she disappeared out of their doorway. He leaned against his brother, feeling for his hand, and giving it a squeeze.


	10. Dip Your Toes Before Diving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus

A few days had passed and Sans kept a close eye on the human's activities, often meeting her during and in between his various jobs, still hoping, still believing. She called Papyrus quite often, and sometimes Sans liked to listen and chime in. The last he knew, the kid was solving puzzles around Hotland. He had sold her some illegal hotdogs and managed to get in a few japes as well. It had been a good day. Hopping up on the couch — still lightly stained with cocoa — he waited for his brother to return from work.

\----

A few minutes later Papyrus returned home, grinning brightly when he spotted his brother. “Oh! Hello, Sans! Did your shift end, too?” His smile was instantly replaced with a suspicious glare. “Or are you just being lazy and not doing work again?”

\----

Sans grinned up at Papyrus. "hey, i'll have you know i sold a record number of hotdogs today. the kid got in on it, too."

\----

“Oh, boy.... Well, at least she seemed to be having fun. How is she, by the way? Is she doing okay?”

\----

His expression softened. "i think so. she's makin' friends everywhere she goes, it seems. i'm really proud of her. it can't be easy." He chuckled. "and she still find me _humerus_ , so that's a _bone-us_."

\----

Papyrus threw his head back and groaned loudly, “Saaaaans!...” He realized with a jolt that his brotherly instinct was trying to kick in, yet he still held off. This did bring up a question he had been wanting to ask for a while, though. He looked down at his brother curiously. “Hey, that actually reminds me. When would you like to, well, work on rekindling your enjoyment for tickling? I try not to push the topic too often in case it annoys and frightens you, but if we're going to be living up on the surface soon you'll need to get used to constant tickle fights from friends.”

\----

Sans lightly jolted, looking anywhere but at Papyrus. Honestly, it had been nagging at his mind lately; he didn't favor the thought of isolating himself away from his friends whenever things took a ticklish turn.

But the thought of trying to move past what happened to him gave him more anxiety than he'd liked to admit. He ... well, he was starting to miss how his brother would naturally slip a little tickling into their routine and the excitement of when things escalated. Papyrus had been so careful and respectful of him after the incident ... but he didn't miss the sadness and wistfulness Papyrus had when a perfect opportunity slipped by. Sans was grateful to him, but it killed him to see how much it was affecting his brother too.

Sans looked down to his fingers, playing with them and fidgeting. "well ... i ... i'm still a little scared." he admitted. "but, i know you're on my side, bro. i ... know you'll stop if i want you to, so ... i guess...." He curled up a little. "i-i guess, i'd be up for trying it tonight...."

\----

Brightening up, Papyrus grinned. “R-Really? You have no idea how happy that makes me! And I promise, I will not make you uncomfortable or scared; you can trust me to stop whenever you need me to. I only intend to help you after all.” He hugged Sans close to him.

\----

Sans's tenseness melted and he relaxed into the hug, nuzzling him. He liked to hear his brother so excited; if anything, even if he found he couldn't enjoy it anymore, it would make his brother happy, and that made it worth giving it a go. "i guess you can start how you like, just ... n-not too much at once ... ya know?"

\----

“Are you absolutely sure? We can always wait if that is what you wish. I want both our priorities to revolve around making you feel comfortable, not making me happy. I mean, clearly I won't object if you're ready right now, but.... Well, you do still sound a bit uncertain. I don't want to force anything upon you.”

\----

Sans finally met his brother's eyes. "i ... well, i guess i'll always feel a bit uncertain if i don't try. and if i don't try, well, then, that thing that did this to me wins, right? it wanted me to suffer ... i-it took away something that made me happy. that made you happy. and ... i was helpless to do anything then, but i can't let that make me helpless now." He nodded his consent firmly. "i want this. even if i'm scared. even if it's not the same anymore. i gotta take that chance. and i trust you, papyrus, i'm confident that you'll make this as easy for me as possible."

\----

“Well... Okay. I promise to be as gentle as possible. So, would you prefer I tickle your spine or feet first or something? I won't touch your ribs — not yet anyway — since it's a sweet spot and it's easy to get you overwhelmed there.”

\----

"thanks, pap. and, yeah, that's probably for the best," he agreed. "oh, hold on." He bent down, hesitated for a moment, then removed his sneakers. Sitting up he took a deep breath and exhaled it out, long and slow. He gave his brother a soft grin. "o-okay. i'm ready. you said the new safe word is red, right?"

\----

“That's right, the new safe word is red. Okay, I'll start now. Remember not to hesitate to use said safe word when you need it.” Papyrus took Sans' right foot by the ankle and gently tickled his sole.

\----

Sans nodded, leaning back into the couch against the armrest. As Papyrus started, he shivered at the light sensation, already starting to feel a bit squirm-y, hands shakily rising to delicately cover his eyes. "khh-hh—! hehehee! ahaha, y-you h-haven't lohost your _t-touch_ , heheee!"

\----

“...I'm going to ignore that for the time being.” Papyrus slowly picked up the pace as he slowly worked his way up Sans' sole towards his toes.

\----

"ahaa—! aww, c-c'mon, hahaa! n-not eheheven aha pity smile? eeheeehee!" He arched a bit, lightly tugging on his ankle, peeking out between his fingers. "aha! haha—! heehehee!" He curled his toes.

\----

“Nope, too busy appreciating this _memen-toe_ to do that.” He chuckled as he gently scraped his fingertips under Sans’ toes.

\----

"oho gahaa—! pahahap!" He lightly thumped his head against the armrest once, grin broadening. "i seeheee y-you h-hahahaven't _toe-ned_ down ahaha, on the p-puns! eeeeeeeheheee!" The banter was helping him cope, keeping his mind a bit distracted from the anxiety that hovered too closely around him.

\----

“Wowie, you'll just never accept _de-feet_ with those puns, will ya?” He began to wiggle and twiddle his toes a bit.

\----

"kkggg—! eeheeehee! i-it's myheehee _sole_ p-purpose ihihin lihihife! gheheheeee! oh gahaash, it tihihickles!" He began to writhe, lightly shaking his head, toes curling and flexing and dancing under the gentle toe-tickles.

\----

Papyrus slowed down a bit. “Are you doing okay? Do I need to give you a break?”

\----

It felt so good to be asked — that he had a say in the situation. He nodded a bit eagerly, reflexes slowing down along with his brother's pace. "yeah, yeahaha, smahall breheak! rehed! heheh!"

\----

He stopped immediately. “Are you okay, Sans? Please tell me I didn't push too far....”

\----

Lightly panting, Sans relaxed, giving his brother a reassuring smile. "naw, bro, you're fine. i just...." He looked down. He didn't like giving Papyrus troublesome details ... but, maybe he needed to. For once. He'd felt better opening up before, so maybe....

"...the creature threatened to kill me if i asked it to stop or said no to it, s-so...." He glanced up, rubbing his arms a bit. "it had all these tendrils or somethin' wound up all over me ... all through me. i-it coulda snapped me in pieces at any second. i had to agree to everything or i'd die...."

\----

Papyrus rose his hands to his gaping mouth with his sockets widened, mortified. “Oh, my stars ... Sans ... I-I'm so sorry.... Oh, gosh, that must've been dreadful.... Oh, Sans....”

\----

Sans cleared his throat, fighting off tears. "so ... i just want you to know h-how much i appreciate th-that you care about how i feel. e-even if you like to see how worked up i can get, heh, i know that y-you'd never force me like that."

\----

“Oh, Sans, I would _never_ do such a cruel thing to anyone, especially my brother!” Scooping him up, Papyrus hugged him tightly. “Oh... I wish there were a way to go back and make sure that never happened.... I would have stayed by your side that night and kept this from happening to you.... I ... I still feel so bad for letting this happen to you... I was supposed t-to protect you, b-but alas ... it seems the G-Great Papyrus ... failed.... I'm so sorry, Sans!... I should've been a better brother!...” Burying his face in Sans' arm, he trembled with sobs.

\----

Wrapping arms around Papyrus likewise, Sans nuzzled and skele-kissed him, murmuring, "hey, hey, pap ... what happened wasn't your fault, okay? i made it out alive, and you're helping me get over it, huh? you're the best, greatest bro in the world, and i know you've got my back. i need you now and you're here for me, so don't think you've failed, all right?" Gently sliding a hand to the back of Papyrus's neck, he softly played his fingers over the ridges there. "i love ya, pap, and i trust you with everything. with my life."

\----

Sniffling, Papyrus blinked the tears out of his sockets. “Y-You mean that, S-Sans?... You really th-think I'm a good b-brother?...”

\----

"the best!" Sans reiterated, giving him a squeeze. "you're so thoughtful and kind, but also strong and full of passion. you keep my spirits up, and also keep me in check. i need ya in my life pap, and you are, so don't apologize, and don't feel regret for what someone else did. don't take its blame, 'cause you don't deserve that."

\----

He shut his sockets and began to softly weep. “Th-Thank you, Sans.... I do try t-to be a good brother.... Thank y-you so much....”

\----

Sans continued to nuzzle and pet Papyrus for a few lingering moments before he lightly clawed his fingers, delicately wiggling at the side of his brother's neck. "heh, so are you gonna see how much you can get away with gettin' me, or what?" he playfully teased.

\----

Papyrus yelped and giggled, raising his shoulders to protect his neck, grinning with genuine happiness. “Ehehehee! Sahahans!”

\----

"heheheh!" Sans arched his eyes, spidering fingers to the other side of neck, giving Papyrus a sly glance. "or maybe i should see how much i can get away with instead? there's one spot that's lookin' pretty _hip-notizing_ there, bro...~!" He slowly and dramatically started lowering his wiggling fingertips down towards the sweet spot, not yet touching.

\----

He squeaked and giggled uncontrollably in anticipation as he tried to cover up his spot with his hands. “N-Nohoho! Sahahahans! Ehehehe!”

\----

Sans chuckled exuberantly, jumping his fingers to Papyrus's spine at the last moment, gingerly skittering up and down. "gitchy gitchy gitcha~! heheheh! dozzat tickle you, huh? yeah, my little bro's got such tickly bones, dozzant he?"

\----

“NYAAAHAHAAHA! SAHAHAAANS! YOU LITTLE SNEHEEAK! AHAAHAHAAHA!” He squirmed around, lightly banging his head against the back of the couch, as he tried catching his brother's hands so he could pull them away.

\----

His wrists seized, Sans snickered and stopped his assault. He watched Papyrus with a playful grin, waiting for his next move.

A small thrill was growing inside him. He didn't try to squash it.

\----

Panting heavily and giggling softly as he still felt the ghost of the tickles, Papyrus playfully glared at Sans. “Oh, you naughty skeleton....”

\----

Sans's grin grew cheekier. "whatcha gonna do about it?" he challenged.

\----

Papyrus’ grin grew. Oh, how he had wanted to hear that invitation again. “Oh, I'll show you exactly what I plan to do!” He began to gently nibble and nuzzle Sans' neck, being careful not to overwhelm him with the ticklish sensations.

\----

Sans's sockets widened with the excitement of the moment, then arched shut as he shrilly squeaked, turning his head and raising his shoulders. "eeeeehehee~! eeehaahaaaa! oh gahaaash! heheee—~! nahat the n-nihihibbling, ahaha~!" He shivered and shook, but didn't try to pull away.

\----

“Oh, yes, the nibbling! Are you sorry now for tickling my spine?” He kept nibbling gently, giggling giddily.

\----

"kkh-ghheh~heeeeheheee! noho! noho, ahand i'd doohoo ihit ahagain! aaaahaha!" How silly he had been, to let himself be scared of this. That creature — possibly the anomaly, or _an_ anomaly with the human out there as well, he'd guessed — wanted to torture him, but Papyrus never would. His friends never would. Well ... it still was a bit of torture, but somehow it was still fun. He wasn't suffering, he was ... happy.

\----

“Oh, yeah? Then what about this?” Now, he blew tiny raspberries on his neck.

\----

"aiieee~heehehee! aaaahaha, noho, staaaahappihihihit! eeeeeheee—~!" He pressed himself up against Papyrus, shaking with giggles, curling his fingers and lightly struggling. "mayheebee aha teeheensy bihihit sahaaarry! oho gahahaha—! ehehee!"

\----

“That isn't good enough, brother! Don't make me get your feet next!” Blowing slightly stronger raspberries, Papyrus snickered.

\----

Sans squealed, ducking his head in near-submission. The magic at his neck was delicate like the bones there, and each ticklish blow was intensely squirm-inducing, yet his body locked up protectively in order to keep the area safe from hurting himself. It was a little maddening and Sans reveled in it. "aaaaahaaaaaaaha~! pleeheeease! gghehaaaahaa~hahaaa!" Shuddering under the sensation, he boldly declared, "ahee'm nahahat gohonna apahahalogize! y-your spihihine neeheeded the tihihickles!"

\----

“Okie-dokie, then!” He stopped tickling and grabbed Sans' right ankle, whipping off his sock, and slowly inched his wiggling fingers closer and closer to his foot.

\----

As it stopped, Sans panted, letting out a soft gasp as the remaining layer of protection on his right foot was cast aside. He put his hands up to his mouth, watching the fingers intently, giggling in anticipation and lightly wincing as they got closer. "oho noooho...~! don't tease me lihike this...!" He fidgeted, toes curling and foot twitching and lightly tugging already.

\----

Papyrus was close enough to where he could begin tickling, but he quickly pulled his hand away before closing in again, giggling all the while. “I'm gonna getcha! IIIII'm gonna getcha! Nyehehehe!”

\----

"aaaaaha—! n-nahaat thihis, ahaha!" Sans squirmed and tugged, even pounding the couch a little with his fist as ghosts of tingles flared and sparked. Papyrus had him trapped in the contentious split of his mind, where he couldn't decide if his ticklishness was agonizingly unbearable or excitingly pleasurable. His body panicked appropriately at the finger-wiggling threats and verbal teases, but he still awaited the follow-through eagerly, almost achingly. He realized he was blushing and vaguely wondered how long he had been.

\----

Papyrus, too, noticed Sans’ blushing, and he stopped to blink at him curiously. “Sans? Why is your face all blue?”

\----

Sans's senses slammed back into him and he jolted. Burying his face in his sleeves, he mumbled in mortification. "i-it's n-nothing...—!"

\----

“Oh, no, I didn't mean to embarrass you! Wait… are you beginning to slowly enjoy tickling again?” He grinned hopefully.

\----

"yes...," Sans croaked, still hiding his sockets.

 _Maybe not that slowly, either_.... He hadn't missed his own teasing thoughts.

Letting out a shaky sigh, he let his smile show through his sleeves. "i ... i'm having fun, heh."

\----

Gasping happily, Papyrus hugged him. “OH, I'M SO HAPPY! YOU'VE FINALLY GOTTEN OVER YOUR ANXIETY! NYEH HEH HEH!”

\----

"oof—! heheh ... hmm~" Sans hugged him back, relaxing, blush fading, feeling warm and happy and safe. "couldn't have done it without you, bro. thanks, pap."

\----

“But of course! I'd always do anything I can to help you! Sooo... do you want to continue, or are you done for now?”

\----

Sans glanced away with a sheepish smile. "uhh ... i wouldn't mind continuing ... if you wanted to...." He absently played with his own fingers.

\----

“Well, of course I want to! After all, we haven't bonded like this in a while, and it's always fun to tickle you! You just have the cutest reactions! Nyehehehe!”

\----

Sans lightly blushed, but felt rather elated, glad that Papyrus was having fun too. "i do? i thought i was just doing a lot of freaking out, heheh." He shrugged with a chuckle.

\----

“Absolutely not! It's one of the many things I love about playing these games with you! Now, let us continue!” He gripped Sans' ankle, gliding his fingers up and down his sole; Sans found that wearing that thick, fuzzy sock only succeeded in making his foot even more sensitive to tickling than before.

\----

Sans grinned eagerly, readying himself for their game to continue. His breath heavily hitched and he nearly jumped back to the other end of the couch — if it weren't for his brother's strong hold — at the unexpectedly high sensitivity. "oho geeheeze! kkgg~! hh—nn-nahaaaahaa—! heeheeehehe!" Shivering at the light, but potent touch, he clutched his fingers tightly at his shirt, turning and tossing his head.

\----

“Oh, wowie! It seems those socks made you really ticklish! Let's see how ticklish your toes are now!” He skittered his fingers under and between his toes, giggling and teasing him all the while. “Citchy-citchy-citchy-cooooo! Nyaaaw, you're so cute! Look at those little wiggly toes go! Nyehehehe!”

\----

"ahaaaaa, h-hahaow cohould they behehetrahahy meheeee?" he lamented, managing to playfully give the discarded sock a dirty look. He squealed loudly as Papyrus's fingers landed on his toes. "eeeeeeeeeee—! eheeehee! oho, pleeheeease! thehey're so ss-sensihitive! ahaaaha—!" Sockets wide, he wrapped his arms about himself tightly, tugging and shaking his ankle. The teasing coos just made everything more intense and he squirmed and giggled in a slight frenzy.

\----

“One might even say they're ... _Sans-itive?~_ ” He giggled as he twiddled Sans’ toes around.

\----

The soft grasp on his now hyper-ticklish toes and having his own pun thrown back at him put Sans in absolute hysterics, shaking with silent laughter for a few moments. "....—! ...~! ... —eheeeee...! p-pl...! eeeease...! aaaahaaa...~! ahe th-thought y-youhoo hahahaated th-thahahat one...! ahahaaa!"

\----

“I do, but you like it, and I do want to make you enjoy yourself.” He stopped, letting Sans catch his breath. “Are you okay? Did you forget the safe word? You were laughing, but you didn't make any noises.”

\----

"hh ... heheh...~ i'm ... okay.... maybe ... j-just a break though ... hh ... now th-that you stopped...." Putting one hand on his head and the other on his chest, he panted heavily. "...hff ... i still dunno h-how ... that tickles so much.... gheh...." He wiggled his toes, still feeling phantom fingers. "...it's like, y-you're barely even ... touching me, so why...?"

\----

Papyrus shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. It's rather interesting, though, not to mention fun!”

\----

Gulping down more air, Sans waited until his breathing slowed to a more manageable level. He smiled at Papyrus, then softly snickered. "you still totally deserved those spine tickles though, heheh."

\----

“Oh, yeah?” He smirked as he grabbed Sans’ foot again to gently nibble his toes.

\----

Sans nearly shrieked, throwing his head back and pummeling the couch with his palms. "aiiiiiiiiiiieeeaaahaaahaaaaaa! nn-nononohohohoo—~! pleeeeeeeheeheeheeeease! oho gaahaaaash, ihihit tihihickles s-so muuhuuuuuch—! naaaaaahahaaa~aaaa!" His giggling was strung together by shrill whining.

\----

“Sooooo.... About the apology thing.... If you're still not up to it, I can always just continue.” Smirking as he kept it up, he added a skittering set of fingers traveling up and down his sole.

\----

"nnnhnnnn~nnn! aaaaaaahahaiiieeee~eeeee! mehercyyheeeheee!" Sans half-curled and rolled on his side, pushing against Papyrus's legs with his free one. It was bordering more than he could take ...well, the border had been crossed over more than Sans thought it could be, but for some reason, now, he couldn't get enough. He craved the worst Papyrus could give him.

He hoped he wasn't going crazy.

\----

“Why do you always insist on not using the safe word when clearly you need a break, brother? ...Or is it you never wanted to use it in the first place?” Papyrus stopped nibbling as he spoke, but kept tickling his sole, a knowing grin beginning to stretch across his face.

\----

He wished he knew. He wished he knew why he liked this so much, but he didn't think he could explain it. He took a gasping breath, still giggling at the reduced tickling. "aahaa...! ehehe—! ahee lihike ihihit whehen you puhush mehee!" His sockets widened in shock and his hands flew to his mouth.

\----

Papyrus looked a bit surprised for a while, then he developed a rather uncharacteristically evil smirk and loomed over Sans, wiggling his fingers towards his ribs. “Oh, really now?~”

\----

Sans continued to stare up at Papyrus in a horrified silence, cheeks brightly blue. His eye lights snapped to the approaching fingers and he finally slowly and softly shook his head, but his SOUL fluttered and pulsed in terrified excitement. Oh, geeze, what had he just unleashed for himself....? He made a noise that could only be described as a cross between a strangled chuckle and a moaning squeak behind his hands.

\----

“Well, let's just see how far I really can push you before you use the safe word, shall we?” With a little war cry, he quickly slid his hands under Sans' shirt and tickled away at his ribs wildly.

\----

Sans jumped and thrashed with a screech, unable to stop himself from kicking and clawing like some cornered animal. His ribs were igniting with sensation different from the agonizing teasing touches, instead, it rippled powerfully through him which made him lash out. Laughter pounded out of him and he bucked and flailed, hoping he hadn't hurt Papyrus in his reflexive struggling. "aaaaaaahahahaaaaaahaaa! oho gahahaaaaaaaa—! staaaaaahahaaaa—! gaha—! haaaaaahahaa...~eeeaaahhaaaaaaha!"

\----

Leaning back quickly, barely dodging a slap across the face from Sans, Papyrus chuckled. “Wowie, Sans, calm down! I don't want to restrain you! Try to keep as still as possible, or at the very least keep your arms away from your ribs!”

\----

"i cahaha—! i cahahahan't—! ahaaaaa... —!" Despite this assertion, however, he flung his arms up, grabbing and holding as tight as he could to the armrest.

\----

He chuckled excitedly before wiggling and squeezing his ribs in his index fingers and thumbs. “Tickle tickle, Sansy! Nyehehehe!”

\----

The switch from the harder tickling to the teasing gave him kickbacks of sensation and he jumped and twitched at every touch more intensely than usual. "kkghh~aaaaaaaiiiiiieeeheeehee! noho! nohohoho—! more...—!" His vision slightly blurred, and he gasped, writhing. "....mohore...! plehehease...! aheheee—...~!" He wasn't sure what he was begging for anymore.

\----

“I'm not exactly sure anymore if you're begging me to stop or continue.... So I'll just continue and you can use the safe word when you've had enough.” He began to experimentally nibble Sans’ ribs.

\----

It was too much. Sans couldn't handle the teeth's gentle exploration on such a sensitive spot. He arched and shrieked and blissfully sobbed out piercing whines. His bones trembled and tears trickled down radiantly blue cheeks. "i'm sorryyyheheheeeee...! ...rehehehed—!..."

\----

“Oops!” Papyrus quickly stopped. “Sorry, Sans, I was swept up in the excitement, I didn't mean to get carried away!”

\----

Sans's breathing came out in wheezes and whimpers. He lay there shaking, vision swimmy, head dizzy. He opened his eyes, looking up at his brother, and his expression softened to one of tired reassurance. "....hff ...hnn ... th-that w's ... a hell of a ride... hh...."

\----

“Oh, Sans, I really am sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away... It's just that we were both having fun and I thought you could handle it... So I suppose you're done for the day now?”

\----

He closed his eyes with a rather peaceful smile. "hehh ... s'kay, bro ... 'm fine...." He took a rather long and needy inhale, breathing out equally long and quavery. "...i had a good time. i ... almost wish i coulda held out longer...," he admitted.

\----

“Well.... Perhaps there's a way to help strengthen your endurance to tickling? Of course it'd require a lot of it ... and possibly not as many breaks as usual.... Perhaps that isn't the best idea actually now that I think about it.”

\----

"oh gossssh ... whyyyy!" Sans groaned and slowly brought his hands down to his face to scrub at his eyes. "i ... i think you tickled me out mind, part of me likes that idea...."

\----

“Well, there's nothing wrong with liking to be tickled. I mean, I like being tickled, and there's nothing wrong with that.”

\----

Sans seemed to suddenly realize he'd said his last comment out loud and blushed fiercely again, though didn't act as mortified as usual. Instead, he focused on his brother's assertions and smiled. "oh, so you do like it then, huh?" Pushing himself up to a quivering sit, he hovered his fingers playfully close.

\----

“U-Um.... D-Did I say I like it? I-I meant ... uhh....” Grinning nervously, Papyrus giggled in anticipation as he shrunk a bit before his brother.

\----

Soft chuckles bubbling through him, Sans leaned over, grabbing hold of Papyrus's knees. He hadn't quite recovered his energy yet, so his fingers were still trembling, but he was still delightedly scooching up closer, towering over his brother as much as the shorter skeleton could. "ohoho ... do you like it here, huh?" He gently squeezed his fingers before withdrawing from the knees and lazily walking them up to the spine. "or here, maybe? it's so ticklish here, you must like it!" He prodded and poked and twisted his fingers along the length of it. "oh, no, wait, i know where you like the tickles." He skittered his fingers to his brother's neck, scritching and wiggling under his chin and on either side. Then his eyes gleamed and his fingers darted down to lightly poke and scratch at his hips. "aha, but you must like this spot, right? heheheh...."

\----

He squeaked and jumped a bit at the knee squeeze, then squealed at the spine poking; he also giggled and snorted at the neck and chin tickling, and finally, he yelped out a little cry of laughter at the hip poking. “SAHANS! Q-QUIHIT TEASING ME! NYEHEHEHEHE!”

\----

Sans grinned. "well, okay, if you insist. i'll just get straight to the tickling then." He snickered, keeping his hands right where they were, squeezing mercilessly.

\----

“WAAAHAHAAHAHAHAA! S-SAHAHAAA--! AHAHAHAAA!” He howled with laughter as he kicked and squirmed around wildly. In a desperate act of retaliation, he launched his hands out to wrap behind Sans' back and tickled the sweet spot on the grooves of his ribs.

\----

Sans instantly surrendered, fingers — and everything else — curling up as he shrilly squealed, trying to roll onto his back. "eeeeeeheheeee! nonohoho, wahahaaiiiit—~! eeeee~hee!"

\----

Once the hip tickling stopped, he quickly stopped the rib tickling, and lay there panting heavily. “S...Sorry, Sans.... I couldn't ... think straight.... Hff....”

\----

Sans straightened himself out, sitting up. "heh ... sorry pap, didn't mean to push ya too hard. i guess that's a pretty dangerous spot for you, huh?" He paused and smiled, looking rather curious. "so ... where _do_ you like being tickled most, bro? or does it matter?"

\----

Blushing in embarrassment, Papyrus looked away. “W-Well.... Umm.... Y-You see ... I kinda like ... coughcoughmyneck....”

\----

Sans's grin broadened ever so slightly. "woah, woah, hey, you're gonna hafta speak up. wheeeeere do you like it, huh, pap~?" His fingers started slowly creeping upwards.

\----

“U-Umm.... M-my, uh.... Errr....” He started to nervously grin as Sans' wiggling fingers inched closer and closer.

\----

"c'mon, little bro, out with it, huh?" He hovered his fingers inches from his neck, making like he would dart in, but pulled away back into the lingering close proximity. "where do ya want me to getcha?"

\----

Papyrus squeaked, already rolling up his shoulders and giggling uncontrollably. “O-Okay, okahahay! I-I like it ohon my ... n-neck....” His face turned bright orange with embarrassment as he looked away.

\----

"hehehe, oh my gosh, pap, that's so adorable!" Sans suddenly hugged one arm over his shoulder, carefully pulling him forward as he leaned in close enough to gently nuzzle his teeth against the right side of Papyrus's neck. His fingers found their way to the back of his neck, skimming and scritching at the ridges. "kitchy kitchy coo~!" he hummed pleasantly.

\----

“It-It's not adora-EEEEE!” He squeaked and giggled as the tickling began, and he started squirming around, grinning and laughing happily. “N-NYEHEHEEHEHE! EHEEHEHEHEHEEEE!”

\----

"it is _sooooo_ adorable," Sans teased, keeping up with his movements. Fingers gently wiggling and stroking, he made sure to explore slowly and thoroughly. Withdrawing from the nuzzle, he softly scratched beneath his chin and jaw. "tickle tickle tickle! heheh, you havin' fun, pap?"

\----

“E-EHEHEHE! SAHAAHANS! AHAHAHAAAA!” He let loose a squeaky snort as he trembled not to protect his neck with his head, shoulders, or hands, lightly stomping his boots against the ground.

\----

Even though his own session had left him pretty tired, Sans was having too much fun. He hoped Papyrus was, too. Pulling his fingers just barely away, he teasingly scribbled at the air. "you like it, pap? you want more? lean into it if you waaant iiiit!" He softly snickered.

\----

“Saaaaans, don't dohoho that, it's embahahaharrassiiiing!” Papyrus giggled and blushed an even deeper orange than before.

\----

Sans chuckled. "all right, heheheh. you're pretty cool about it when i'm embarrassed, so i won't give you too much grief." He got in a few last soft, spidery tickles before withdrawing completely and backing down. He settled next to Papyrus, leaning against him, sockets closed. Then he smirked. "it's still adorable though."

\----

He giggled at the last few tickles and panted a bit, grumbling under his breath at Sans' comment afterward. “No, it isn't....”

\----

Sans snickered and nuzzled into his brother affectionately. Letting out a long sigh, he mused, "wow ... i didn't expect to get back into it so quickly. i guess you're just that good at making me feel at ease, pap. thanks for helpin' me out." A bit sheepishly, he added, "and, uh ... i dunno what came over me about all that limit pushing stuff ... uh, must'a been one of those, ya know ... sticking it to the thing that did that to me things, like, 'hah, i can take it' ... or ... somethin'... hehh...." He winced at how unconvincing he sounded.

\----

Papyrus smirked deviously; it was his turn to do the teasing now. “No, I don't believe that's the reason. I believe the reason is that you like it a liiiiittle more than you'd like to think. Who knew my brother could get so kinky?~”

\----

"ghh- _hh_ —!" Jolting and lightly squirming on the spot, Sans made a few stuttering noises of protest, floundering flusteredly. Firmly looking away, he finally whined, "ahaaa, geeeeze, paaaap! d-don't say it like thaaaat...!" His cheeks burned.

\----

“Wowie! Seems like you really do like tickling that way! And you say I'm the cute one!” Papyrus giggled as he gave the sides of Sans' ribs a few teasing pokes. “If you'd like, I could try to role play as that lady behind the door again!” His voice rose up to imitate a female. “Oh, Sansy-Pansy, you're such a cute little sugar skull!~ Tee-hee-hee!~”

\----

Sans squeaked and jumped at the prods, then curled up to bury his face. "aaaaaaaaha, nononohoho, nahahat that again! pleeeeeeease, ahaaaa—!" He freed up one hand to push against his brother.

\----

With a giggle, Papyrus stopped. “Okay, okay, I'll stop. But in all seriousness, please do not be ashamed for liking tickling. ...I suppose I should practice what I preach, eh?” He grinned sheepishly.

\----

Sans gratefully leapt on the opportunity to take the focus off himself, slowly pushing back up to a sit, giving his brother a soft nudge with his elbow. "heh, yeah, i like to see you havin' fun, pap, so ... if you're ever feelin' in need of more neck tickles, or anywhere, you can always just say so. i'd be happy to oblige." He chuckled. "not that i mind teasing it outta you, either."

\----

Rolling his eye lights, Papyrus scoffed in amusement. “Well, thank you, brother. In that case, I extend the same invitation to you. Perhaps we could both share a little tickle fight sometime soon. Those are always fun, especially since the Great Papyrus naturally comes out victorious in them! Nyeh heh heh!”

\----

Sans shot his brother a small challenging grin. "heh, maybe i'll surprise you one of these times. i might be able to get the upper hand yet...."

He hesitated a moment, expression turning a little more serious. "uh, pap? do you happen to ... like it in the s-same way i do...?" It felt so very strange to say out loud, as if he hadn't fully come to terms with admitting it. "y-you don't have to answer that. just ... well we're bros, and i hope you don't think i'd ever, uh, take advantage of you with what this ... what this does for me. 'cause that's the farthest thing from my mind. even if you weren't ever worried about it, i just ... wanted to make that clear."

\----

Papyrus turned deep orange — almost red-orange — but he forced himself to answer nevertheless. “U-Umm.... T-To be completely honest.... K-Kinda.... Umm.... O-Okay, yes, but only a l-little.... Okay, a _lot_.... Wowie, I see why you get so flustered now, it is kinda embarrassing to be admitting that, especially to your brother.... Hehehe....”

\----

Sans closed his eyes and put a hand to his head, chuckling a bit incredulously. He didn't know why, but he felt a bit relieved, perhaps because now he knew he wasn't alone. He sighed and smiled. "it's all right, pap. i guess we have a little more in common than we thought, huh? heheh. when did you find out? training with undyne?"

\----

“Erm.... More like while having tickle fights with you. I don't really like being tortured, I like it to all be fun and games, you know? I suppose you're the same way? I-If you don't mind me asking.”

\----

"i gotcha. heh, i ... i guess i'm still figuring it out." He gently kicked his legs a bit nervously, looking down. "i think as long as i feel safe enough, i don't mind if it gets a little intense. i mean, it can get pretty torturous for me, but as long as it's the 'fun and games' atmosphere, i know everything will be okay, and i can kinda ... lose myself in the moment, ya know?" He brought his hands to his face. "oh geeze, i really am a masochist, aren't i? ghh...."

\----

“Well, that's like saying tickling is used only as a torture mechanism when in reality it can also be used for enjoyment and bonding. I wouldn't call it masochism. But even if it was, then ... I suppose I'd be one, too.... Not like there's anything wrong with it.”

\----

Sans felt himself greatly relax, putting his hands down in his lap, and he tilted his head back with a smile. "heh, i guess you're right, pap. i guess i shouldn't worry about it. i'm just glad that we can keep enjoying our tickling bonding together. thanks for easing me back — i won't let anything ruin this for me again. you really are the greatest bro ever, papyrus."

\----

“Aww, you are most certainly welcome, dear brother!” He hugged him close to his chest, giggling playfully as he gave Sans' ribs a few pokes.

\----

Sans hugged him back with a squeeze, then squeaked and wriggled, aiming a few prods of his own at his brother's backbone.

\----

Papyrus giggled and squirmed before smirking competitively. “Oh, is that how it's gonna be, brother?”

\----

Sans met his brother's look with cheeky grin of his own. "what, you don't think i have the _guts_ to put up a fight? oh, wait, i don't. no, no, here we go. you don't think i have the _nerve_?" He started to snicker uncontrollably. "heheh, or wait, you'll like this one especially, do i not have the _spine_ to fight _backbone_ , bro? heheheh!"

\----

“Oh, you are going _down_ , Sans the skeleton!” With a little battle cry, he pinned Sans' arms to his sides with his arms and began poking and skittering his spine and hips.

\----

Sans burst into shrill giggles, wriggling and worming, but finding himself quite stuck in his brother's hold, twitching and jumping at the touches. The excited laughter segued into ticklish, breathy, gasp-y giggles and squeaks. "ahaa—! ehehee! ahahaa! ohoho noho! ee—! hehehe~!"

\----

“Nyehehehehe! What says you now, brother?” As he kept poking around, he nuzzled and nibbled the back of Sans' neck.

\----

Sans squirmed and quivered at the added stimulus, trying to duck his head. "kkh—! kkgghheeheeeee—~! oh noho, pleheee—! pleehehehease! wehe—! we're skeheletons, nahaht vahampires, bro! stahap bihiting my neheheck! eeheeeeehee~!"

\----

“Okay, then.” Immediately transitioning from nibbling to blowing raspberries, he now spider-tickled up and down Sans’ spine and lightly squeezed his hips and femurs.

\----

"aaaaiieeeehaaaaha! oh gahahahaaa—! eeeeeeeeheee~!" He twisted a bit at the spine and hip tickles, though his body wouldn't let him do much more than shudder with the presence at his neck — not that he could move too much anyway in his brother's restricting grasp. His legs tensed at the squeezes and he lightly curled and kicked them. "ahaaa...! oho gahahsh, ihiht's nahaht fahahahaaiiir! ahahaahaa~!"

\----

“Surrender now and I won't use my super special attack I have in store for you, brother!” He kept up the tickling, snickering all the while.

\----

Sans cachinnated, squirming as much as he could — which wasn't too much — but managed to squint open his eyes with a hint of stubborn defiance, now not even bothering to suppress the thrills he felt that went with it. "heeeehee, noho! ahehe wohon't gihihive ihin! haahahaa~!"

\----

“Very well! You leave me with no other choice!” Since he was holding Sans still with his arms, he used his teeth to lift up the back of Sans' jacket and shirt to bare his back, then took in a deep breath.

\----

Realizing what Papyrus was about to do, Sans tensed up, intense dread and excitement welling inside of him. "oh, noooo! pap, noooooho!" His voice was a bit high-pitched in his panic. "nahat thaaaaaat—! not theeeeere—!"

\----

He knew Sans was expecting him to get his sweet spot, so to catch him off guard he blew his saved-up raspberry on the back of his neck, then quickly switched back to his sweet spot and nibbled there instead.

\----

Taken by complete surprise, the anticipation that subconsciously built up his defenses for the incoming duress left him even more vulnerable and sensitive to the subversion. "yahaahaaaaaaaiiiiieeeeeee—~!" And then while his mental bracing backpedaled to try to adjust, Papyrus had switched to the spot he'd originally dreaded — double taken off-guard. He shrieked.

The safe word nearly tore out from him, but he pulled it back. It was absolute agonizing torture; everything in him and about him curled and twisting and writhing in distress as much as he was able to, seeking relief from the intensity of it all, but Sans felt safe enough with his brother to let the threshold be broken. He sobbed and whined through his hysteric giggles, begging and gasping and shaking, but he was thrilled all the while.

\----

“So, brother? Will you finally admit defeat? Or shall I up my ante?” He transitioned from blowing raspberries and nibbling on Sans' sweet spot as he now skittered his fingers up and down his femurs, squeezing his kneecaps whenever he got to them.

\----

Now much less frenzied, Sans kicked and jumped, though giggles still poured from him shrilly. "eeehee—! aheee...! ahee...cahahan't stahahand ihit...!" he gasped out, his expression turned a bit incredulous at himself before he followed with, " _soho ihit's a good th-thihihing ahee'm nahat stahahanding...!_ "

\----

“Ohhh, you've done it now!” Grinning, he used his magic to summon a few magical bones with dulled tips, then levitated them and used them to poke and scrape at his feet and toes; all the while he still tickled Sans’ legs and back.

\----

Tossing his head back, Sans squeaked at the new trick, and he reflexively pushed and kicked and tried to fight them off. But Papyrus had expert magical control honed by so much training, so it was a fruitless battle against them, only managing to wear him out a bit more until it was too much effort to kick. He fell practically limp, twitching and jolting, but mostly enduring whatever Papyrus gave him. "...heeheee... —~! oho gosh, y-yaha ... you're toohoo good...! ...ahaaa...—!" His neck was still tingling and his voice was giving out, the back tickles were still agony, but despite all this, he simply smiled with tired, happy eyes as he laughed.

\----

“Well, of course I am, I'm Tickle Master Papyrus! Nyehehehe!” Making one of the bones pull Sans’ toes back so the others could glide and scratch along his taut, immobile soles, he started to nuzzle the back of his ribs, the overly sensitive bones ticklishly reacting greatly to the breathing through his nasal cavity.

\----

Sans was just vaguely still aware of Papyrus's presence as the tickling nearly had him consumed. His feet felt so vulnerable and it tickled him crazily, but he couldn't fight anymore. He couldn't muster even a feeble attempt to twist away from the nuzzling, and his brother's breath on his bones had him whining even in the confines of his own mind. He shivered and shuddered at the sensations, it was almost literally the most he could do, occasionally hiccupping sharp giggles and squeaks.

\----

Papyrus suddenly stopped tickling, but he kept his hold on his brother, letting him regain his breath and strength. “Well, brother? Do you surrender now? Or would you prefer a round two?”

\----

Everything was tingling so much, Sans barely registered it had stopped. He gulped down air, resting in as much of a limp position as he'd been in. "....hh ... ~...hff ...i s'rr'nder," he slurred meekly.

\----

“NYEH HEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT TICKLE MASTER PAPYRUS WINS ONCE AGAIN! Now ... let me get you some water.” He gently placed Sans down on the couch before trotting to the kitchen.

\----

"hh-hh ... th'nks bro." Geeze, Papyrus was the best.

Sans basked in the happiness that continued to radiate through him, feeling so strangely satisfied.

\----

After a few moments, Papyrus came back in, holding a glass of iced water. “Are you strong enough to hold it yourself? Or do you need my assistance?”

\----

Sans eyed the glass yearningly. He tried to sit up, but only managed a small push with a great amount of effort. "...l'il help'd be nice," he agreed.

\----

“Alright.” He sat down next to Sans and used one arm to elevate him into a sitting position, using the other hand to slowly feed the water to him.

\----

Sans drank appreciatively, trying not to gulp it down too fast, but Papyrus helped him moderate it. The water was so wonderfully cool and refreshing, already starting to replenish his strength. Once it was gone, he sighed with a smile. "thanks, i n-needed that, heh."

\----

“Of course, brother. Er, I didn't go too far on you, right? You had stopped struggling altogether after all....”

\----

Sans softly shook his head. "i woulda used the safe word if i really wanted to...." He paused and somewhat hoarsely chuckled. "an' if i can't talk, i could probably use my magic to signal you 'f i'm desperate enough. hopefully wouldn't fling you into a wall or anything."

He leaned happily against Papyrus, eyes drooping closed. "it was intense, but i liked it."

\----

Papyrus smiled, letting out a relieved sigh, and hugged Sans close to him. “That's good to hear. I'm glad you had fun, Sans.”

\----

Sans snuggled into the embrace. "heh ... i'm glad you enjoyed driving me crazy. or at least i hope you did, 'cause your turn's comin' up, buddy. heheheh...~"

\----

His eyes flew open in alarm. “Wait, what?”

\----

Sans chuckled at his reaction. "heheh! just a little word of warning, pal. i'm too tired to do anything right now ... well, maybe a little of this." He softly nuzzled into Papyrus's neck.

\----

“E-Ehehehehe! Hey! Sahahans!” Papyrus grinned brightly as he twitched a bit.

\----

"hehe.... love ya, pap...." Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, and feeling secure in his brother's arms, Sans drifted off into peaceful sleep.

\----

Papyrus smiled fondly down at Sans before yawning himself, and he laid down on the couch, carefully placing Sans on his chest so he could wrap his arms around him. “I love you, too, brother. Sleep well, Sans.” With that, his eyes slid closed, and he fell asleep as well.

\----

Flowey had been keeping an eye on the skeletons almost as much as he had on the human. He wasn't sure what he'd just witnessed. That trashbag hated tickling, didn't he? It had been nice to see the smaller skeleton so on edge these last few days, but now he looked so peaceful. It was disgusting.

The human had found a place to sleep for the night, so Flowey wasn't too concerned about her movements at the moment. He continued to pout and brood.


	11. FLOWEY! YOU HAVE SOME MAJOR EXPLAINING TO DO!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (ANNOUNCEMENT: The two of us have decided to add a new chapter every Wednesday so we don’t burn out from preparing and proofreading these chapters. If the chapters are short, two will be uploaded, like what we did this week. Thank you all for your patience and interest!)
> 
> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Flowey  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Undyne

After tucking Sans into bed, Papyrus snuck out of the house and stomped towards his meeting place with Flowey. He was usually cheerful and excited to see his ‘friend’ again, but tonight his emotions were clouded and laced with fury. He just _knew_ that it had been Flowey who had kidnapped and tortured Sans a few days ago — there was no way it _couldn't_ have been him — and he was planning on giving him a piece of his mind. After tonight, the Flowey Fan Club would be disbanded and Papyrus would have one less friend.

\----

Flowey was surprised to notice Papyrus heading for their usual meeting place, but even more surprised to see him so angry. How rare! How interesting! He ducked under the earth and beat the skeleton there, waiting for his arrival. Flowey knew he had to be cautious. Not that he feared Papyrus would hurt him, but all of his plans would blow up in his face if he made the wrong move or said the wrong thing. And he couldn't experiment or fix any mistakes without his former abilities.

\----

Spotting Flowey, Papyrus growled as he angrily approached him. “FLOWEY! YOU HAVE SOME _MAJOR_ EXPLAINING TO DO!”

\----

Flowey managed to look taken aback — part of him actually was at his favorite skeletal toy's tone. "Gollyyyy, Papyrus, what in the Underground is the matter? Did I do something to offend you?"

\----

“Yes! You did! Earlier today my brother Sans told me that someone kidnapped and tickle tortured him! He smelled like dirt and flowers, too, which proves that it wasn't just a nightmare he had! I know for a fact that you did this to him! You nearly scarred my brother for life, and I _DEMAND_ an explanation right now!” He stomped his foot, making the snow around it fly up into the air, and he glared down at Flowey lividly, something the flower had never seen on the usually cheerful and oblivious skeleton’s face before.

\----

Golly, this was an excitingly dangerous situation. So the smiley trashbag had snitched to his little brother after all. He didn't think the small skeleton would be so open about his problems, but oh, well.

The important thing was getting Papyrus back on his side. Papyrus was crucial. Papyrus would be the catalyst in bringing everyone together, but to do that, he had to restore his trust in his little flower pal.

"Gosh, friend, that sounds really upsetting! But how could you think I would do such a thing? Just because I'm a flower?" His petals wilted and he made a show of looking hurt. "I'm sorry about your brother's story, but you can't just go making accusations like this. I'm your friend, Papyrus, why would you think I would do something so cruel?"

\----

“Don't think I've forgotten about all the awful things you've said about Sans! ‘That smiley trashbag of a brother doesn't care about you, he just wants to keep you naive and blind to the world. He's lying to you, Papyrus.’ Those are the kinds of things you say about him, and you wouldn't say such awful things if you didn't hold some kind of grudge on him! Plus, Sans told me of tendrils and the scent of buttercups, and there's no other creature in the Underground but you who have any of those! Tell me why you did that to my brother, Flowey!”

\----

Perhaps Papyrus wasn't as naïve as Flowey always thought he was.

Flowey hung his head on his stalk. "Look, friend, I know sometimes I rag on your brother, but only because I'm trying to watch out for you. I don't dislike him, just his habits and the way he keeps secrets. That's not healthy, is it?"

Tears sprang into his tiny eyes. They weren't real, but he'd had years of practice to make them look convincing. "I can understand with all that evidence why you would logically think I'm the one, so I guess I'll also understand if you don't believe me, or don't want to be friends anymore." He put his leaves up to his face, trembling and shaking. "Golly, I would miss you so much, Papyrus!"

\----

Papyrus’ gaze softened a bit, thinking perhaps he had been too rough on the little flower. Flowey had said he was only trying to protect him after all, as friends do try to protect each other. But nearly scarring someone — especially his own brother — wasn't the way to go about it. Perhaps if he were driven on the straight and narrow he could learn not to do something like that again.

...But at the same time, he hurt his brother. Undyne, Sans, and everyone else kept telling Papyrus to cut all ties with anyone who proved to be a dishonest and dangerous friend, and Flowey did break his trust. What were the chances he would do that again if he gave him another chance? Papyrus just couldn't decide what to do! “W-Well.... Erm....”

\----

"Please, Papyrus...," the flower falsely wept. "If you really don't want to be friends anymore, then just go...! It hurts too much to ... say goodbye!" Mustering up a sniffle, he turned around on his stalk, facing away from the skeleton.

\----

Papyrus stayed silent for a few moments, then sighed and grimly made up his mind. He wanted to stay friends with Flowey and help and believe in him, he really did…. But he couldn't risk anything like that happening to Sans again. It hurt him so much to see his brother so anxious and depressed and scared, and he couldn't bear to go through that again. He hung his head. “I'm sorry, Flowey. But you broke my trust. Until you can find a way to gain it back.... G-Goodbye, Flowey....” It tore him up to say farewell to one of his first and closest friends — if he even could be considered one after all this — but he had to make this sacrifice to protect his brother. Without saying another word, he turned around and made his way back home.

\----

Flowey genuinely frowned behind his leaves, so sure he'd been in control. He only stopped his pretense when Papyrus was out of sight.

He couldn't let this happen. Not when everything else was coming together.

He might have to take drastic measures.

Burrowing underground, he popped up in front of the tall skeleton with a mournful expression and cry of, "Please, wait!"

\----

Papyrus stopped in his tracks, looking startled, then glared down at the flower. “What is it, Flowey?”

\----

"Y-You're my best friend, Papyrus. I c-can't let myself lose you so easily! If there's anything I can do, anything to get you to trust me again, name it and I'll do it! I can't change what your brother went through and I'm sorry it happened at all, but maybe there's some way I can make it up to him? I'd like to help! If there's any way that I can, I'll do it!"

\----

Papyrus hesitated for a few moments. He really just wanted to abandon the flower and go back home, back to his shaken brother. But… the little flower seemed to be genuinely sorry for what he had done. And he always strove to give anyone a second chance, whether or not others would deem them unworthy of it.

He sighed heavily, then responded, “Apologize to my brother and see if he deems you worthy enough to accept it. If he doesn't forgive you, then ... I think you know what happens. But if he does, I'll give you one last chance. And if you do ANYTHING sneaky and vile, I'll be there to stop you, so don't try anything!”

\----

Well, this would be interesting. And unpleasant. But it had to be done.

"Of course! I'll do it! Anything!" Flowey quickly agreed as if confessing on a witch-hunt just to make the pain stop. "I won't let you down, Papyrus!"

\----

“You'd better not.... We're going to Snowdin Town, and I'm going to have Undyne on standby via cell phone so she can hear if you try any funny business; she has her way of getting to town pretty quickly. So unless you want to try battling three monsters — one of which is captain of the Royal Guard — you'll behave. Let's go.” He turned and walked back to town, not waiting to see if Flowey was following.

\----

Everything could go so wrong. Everything could fall apart. But it would anyway if Papyrus didn't trust him enough. "Any precautions you need to take." He followed closely behind.

\----

Once back in town, Papyrus stopped at his front door, not turning to Flowey as he spoke to him. “You wait out here. If you're not here when I come back ... so help me.” Walking into his house, he began dialing Undyne's number as he walked up the stairs to Sans' room.

Undyne picked up on the other end, sounding really tired and groggy. “Ugh.... Uhh?.... Papyrus? What the hell are you calling me at ... one in the morning?! You goober, I'm trying to sleep!”

“I apologize, Undyne, but I'll need your help. I'm going to put you on speaker so you can listen and be prepared to come to Snowdin if things spiral out of control. Someone hurt Sans and I'm making him apologize.”

“Whoa whoa whoa! Someone hurt Sans? Who?”

“His name is Flowey. He's a little SOULless flower — literally, he has no SOUL. He kidnapped and nearly scarred my brother and I'm making him apologize for what he did. If Flowey decides to attack, you'll be there to listen so you can come and aid us.”

“Y-Yeah, sure thing. But ... why make him apologize? Just kill that little bastard for hurting Sans!”

“I have to give him a chance at least; you know how I am.”

“I do... Well, I'm not happy about it — I'd rather be sleeping right now — but if it'll help you boneheads out then I'll do it.”

“Thank you, Undyne. Give me a second to wake up Sans and then I'll put you on speaker.” Lowering the phone from his ear canal, he knocked on Sans' door. “Sans? Sans, I need you to wake up, this is…. This is very important.”

\----

Sans woke up more or less instantly. "mm? all right, hold on." Sliding out of bed quickly, he made his way to the door and opened it. "what's goin' on, bro?" He looked into his brother's face searchingly and concerned.

\----

“I.... I know you probably won't be happy about this, but… Just know that I'll be here with you and I also have Undyne on the phone right now, so if anything happens we'll be able to help you. I.... Well.... Just.... Just follow me.” Papyrus made his way to the front door.

\----

Sans suddenly was overcome by nerves, confused by how grave Papyrus seemed to be. Seeking a bit of comfort, he slipped his hand into his brother's, staying close to him.

Flowey waited outside the front door. If he could feel emotions, he thought he might be feeling something rather intense. It was interesting to think about.

\----

Papyrus lifted the phone back up to his head. “Okay, Undyne, I'm putting you on speaker now.” Pressing the speaker button, he lifted the phone away from his head. “Can you hear me clearly?”

“Yeah, I can,” Undyne answered. “Let's get this over with so I can go to sleep.”

Papyrus opened the front door, then stepped outside alongside Sans, relieved to find Flowey still there. “Sans. This… This is Flowey. He's… He's here to apologize. He was your kidnapper those days ago.”

\----

"Howdy, Sans."

The small skeleton's eyes were blank. "Y o u...." Bones flashed into existence, hovering around him, his hand quivering.

"Sans, I understand you're very upset, but let's try not to escalate things. I'm here on peaceful terms, you have nothing to fear from me."

"W h a t   d o   y o u   w a n t." It was more of a demand than a question.

"I'm here to apologize, just as Papyrus said," Flowey coaxed. "I just want to say that I realize what I've done affected you deeply, and that it was wrong and I never should have done what I did. I'm very, truly sorry."

"A r e   y o u."

"Yes. I've done a terrible thing to you, and I can't even express how awful I feel for it." He literally couldn't. There was nothing there.

Sans suddenly seemed to calm down. "...are you the anomaly?"

"I was," Flowey replied quickly and honestly. "I'm not anymore ever since the human appeared in the Underground."

"..." Sans stared him down. "how often did you hurt my brother."

Flowey managed to look mortified. "Papyrus is my best friend! I could never hurt him!"

"i don't know if i can believe that from someone with a god-complex."

"Look, you can believe me or not, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm here in front of you now, the two of you could destroy me — not to mention your friend on the phone — and I'm not the anomaly any longer. You see what I'm saying?"

"...don't you dare ever hurt Papyrus, or you're dead."

"I wouldn't dream of it, friend!"

"i'm not your friend." He looked up at Papyrus. "i don't trust him. but he's powerless. that doesn't mean he isn't dangerous." His expression grew a bit anxious. "has this flower ever hurt you, pap? i wanna hear it from you."

\----

As things began to escalate between Sans and Flowey, Papyrus slightly trembled, confused and tense, yet he made no move to jump to Flowey’s defense when his brother readied his attack bullets and instead stayed silent. Once everything calmed down, he did as well. He developed a worried expression when Sans asked him the question. “W-Well.... Not physically.... It did hurt me deeply when he tortured you, but ... he apologized, and you seemed to have forgiven him, so…”

“I didn't hear him say he forgave that little weed, Papyrus!” Undyne shouted over the phone. “If I were you, I would totally stomp that vile thing into the ground until he becomes a squishy yellow stain under your boot!”

“U-Undyne, you know I can't do that....”

“You _can_. You just _choose_ not to.” Her voice softened from her usual loud, angry tone to a more concerned one after a huffy sigh. “Listen, that guy's obviously bad news. You shouldn't trust him. And just because he didn't hurt you now, that doesn't mean he won't in the future, right?”

Papyrus fell silent, not knowing how to answer.

\----

Flowey gave Papyrus his best sad face, fake tears beading and dripping. "Papyrus.... I don't know what else I can do to prove I mean no harm. I know I've broken your trust and that you're hurt, and I'm very sorry. I don't want to lose your friendship. You're all I have. ...Don't you believe ... that the worst person can change...?"

\----

“Of-of course I do!...” Papyrus let out a long sigh. “...Very well. I shall give you one last chance. Do anything wrong again and I'll no longer be your friend. I mean it. Go home now, and leave us to sleep. I'll see you whenever.” Going back inside and, after saying a rushed goodbye to Undyne, he hung up and shut himself in his room.

\----

Sans shot Flowey a dirty look before following Papyrus inside.

Golly, that was intense! But he'd gotten what he wanted, even if his plans now only balanced on the edge of a knife. Smiling in satisfaction, Flowey ducked underground and disappeared.

Sans watched his brother lock himself in his room and quickly hurried up the steps. He turned around, pushing his back against his brother's door and sliding down to the floor. He gave a gentle knock with his knuckles. "...wanna talk about it?"

\----

“What is there to talk about… We both forgave him…” Papyrus sounded very tired, and much softer than usual, which of course was very uncharacteristic of him. “And now I have to sit back and wait until he does something else horrible to you, or to Undyne, or to the human, or to someone else… I… I don't… I don't _want_ to believe in him, Sans… I don't want to believe in anyone who hurts my friends and family. But I know I have to, because no one else will. It gets so tiring, Sans, always believing in people even when they do bad…”

\----

Sans felt a stab of despair straight to his SOUL at how defeated his brother sounded. It was so unlike him. Sans' anchor of optimism and joy was beginning to sink. Not that Sans wanted to try to pin him to that pedestal for his own selfish reasons, it just hurt to know how deeply Papyrus had been wounded.

He hated that flower for doing this to Papyrus, even more than for what it had done to him. He should have destroyed it on sight.

Tears started welling up in his sockets. "pap ... you don't have to believe in anyone that you don't want to. you're so kind and understanding, but it's okay to have a limit. it's okay if you need to distance yourself from people who've done bad things. but ... i know forgiveness is a big part of who you are. and love. and belief in the good in people. don't let someone who's hurt you take who you are away from you, huh? 'cause you don't deserve that. ...heh, that's something i had to learn too..."

\----

Papyrus sniffled softly from behind the door and rubbed at his sockets with the heels of his gloved hands. “...You're right. You didn't let him take away your enjoyment for tickling. Why should I let him take this away from me? ...If I let you in, would you give me a hug? I-I could really use one r-right about n-now…”

\----

"course, pap. course," Sans said gently. "i could really use one myself, heh. from the greatest, sweetest bro in the whole world."

\----

“Oh, Sans.... Y-You're gonna make me c-cry again.... N-Nyeh heh heh....” He stood and opened his door, then knelt down to Sans and hugged him tightly, trying his best not to cry again.

\----

Sans swiveled as the door opened and met Papyrus's embrace tightly, nuzzling his skull against the taller skeleton's own, and petting at his neck. "i love you, papyrus. i love everything about'cha. everything's gonna be all right." He couldn't really promise that, he knew, but ... he still wanted to believe in the human. He still had hope. "bad things might still happen, but i'm here to help ya during the rough times too. never forget that, okay?"

\----

“Th-Thank you, Sans… Y-You know ... you're always telling me how great a brother I am.... But you're a really great brother, too.... Nyeheh, sometimes I even forget that I'm the younger of the two of us… I love you, Sans, and I'll always be here for you whenever you need assistance from the Great Papyrus...~”

\----

Sans couldn't help a few tears spilling over as he squeezed his brother more tightly.

"th-thanks, pap. that means a lot to hear you say. i already know you're there for me.... you've been there so much. i can't even tell ya how much. i can't thank you enough. i can only hope to repay you by doing the best i can as your bro." Gingerly, he raised his fingers from the petting, softly teasing at the back of his neck instead with the ghost of fingertips.

\----

He sniffled a little, but managed to grin and giggle a bit at the little tickles. “N-Nyehehehe! ...W-Well, I appreciate ahahall the things you d-do, brother.”

\----

Sans grinned softly at his brother's giggling, warmed by his words. "do ya want me to stay with you tonight, pap?"

\----

“Yes, please. I'd appreciate it a lot.” He gave Sans a gentle squeeze before picking him up and bringing him into his room to tuck himself and his brother in.

\----

Once under the covers, Sans snuggled up against Papyrus with a small sigh. "if you need anything at all, just let me know, okay? goodnight, bro," he murmured quietly, closing his eyes.

\----

“Thank you, brother. Good night.” He hugged his brother close to him and fell asleep, snoring gently.


	12. Slice of Surface Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Frisk  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Toriel

Sans stared at the Polaroid in his hands — everyone he'd grown so close to recently looked so happy. Even he looked happy on the glossy paper; genuinely, without a trace of the weariness that dragged him down so often.

And yet....

He pulled open a drawer in his workshop containing a photo album of so many pictures he didn't remember taking. He slid the photograph into one of the later page's clear plastic slips. It was such a nice picture....

He hoped he'd never see it again.

Sans only teleported as far as one of the closer parks to his new home, wanting to take the more scenic route. Even a lazybones could appreciate a nice walk. Hands in his jacket pockets, he strolled past vividly green trees that elegantly waved, small shrubs bursting with colors, and the occasional human who jogged past — some giving him a wide berth, others trying to hide their lingering gazes.

It had been about a week since the Underground had been freed from their long-term prison, and things had been changing drastically and very rapidly. Frisk had agreed to be an ambassador for monsterkind and was doing a splendid job for such an enormous task. Actually moving to the Surface was a bit more of an ordeal than anyone would have liked — there was almost thought to be a month-long delay as the humans' bureaucracies argued about what to do, but then many humans and monsters came together at Frisk's prompting to set up a few housing districts, which ended up springing together in a handful of days. It wasn't very integrated or ideal, but it worked for the moment, and while most monsters were sharing houses and all living closely together, many had plans to strike out farther into the world and see it for themselves.

Even though Frisk had made it plain she wanted to stay with Toriel, she still was legally registered in the adoption system. The courts were very much pressed to allow her to stay with the boss monster, mainly as a political statement to set the course for acceptance and smooth integration, and so while she was allowed to live with Toriel for the time-being to see how it worked out, it was still a bit up in the air whether she would be able to ultimately stay.

As her proclaimed 'brothers', Frisk also wanted Sans and Papyrus to live with her, and seeing as monsters were all but forced to share housing anyway, it was a done deal. Not that Sans would have complained. At all.

Finally reaching his new neighborhood, Sans walked up to his new house and opened his new door. He was smiling.

\----

Upon entering the house, Sans spotted his friend and long-time knock-knock buddy Toriel walking into the living room wearing oven mitts with a freshly baked pie in her grasp, stopping during her short journey from the kitchen to the living room couch to watch Frisk and Papyrus play charades in the living room.

She spotted Sans walking in and smiled kindly at him. “Welcome home, Sans. You arrived just in time. I was about to serve a slice of cinnamon-butterscotch pie to everyone as celebration for Frisk's A+ on her algebra test. I'm so proud of the little dearie!”

Apparently, it had been Papyrus’ turn for acting, as he was soon performing vigorous stirring motions and striking many poses for Frisk to guess whom he was trying to imitate. He saw Sans and grinned brightly, waving over to him. “SANS! Come join this wonderfully fun human game called chair-raids! It's a strange name for a game that doesn't involve raiding or chairs, or even raiding chairs, I've come to discover. Humans are strange....”

\----

Sans arched his eyes cheerfully. "oh, well an a-plus _positive-ly_ calls for celebratory _pi_ , huh?" It smelled quite heavenly — he'd attempted her recipe once in the Underground, though Papyrus had found it too sweet. Though he'd also thought it was a quiche.

Frisk didn't bother correcting Papyrus, only giggling in the spirit of things.

Sans grinned. "oh, sure, what are the rules?"

\----

Papyrus groaned loudly at the puns as Toriel giggled at them. “Anywaaaay.... For this game you have to use body language to describe what is on your mind as the other players try to guess what it is you're imitating! However, you cannot give verbal hints!”

\----

"oh, that sounds fun. what's on my mind, huh? let me try." Sans pointed a finger solidly at the pie in Toriel's hands, then pointed to his mouth, finally rubbing his stomach area with a pleased expression.

Frisk started giggling even harder.

\----

Papyrus blinked, staying silent for a few moments, then grinned as innocently as he could, even if he couldn’t completely hide the glint of mischief in his sockets. “Oh! You would like for Toriel to kiss and tickle you? Well, you can borrow my room for that I suppose, for you shouldn't do that in front of Frisk.”

Toriel gasped in shock and nearly dropped her pie, her face turning bright pink. She looked at Sans in surprise. “S-Sans! How could you suggest such an inappropriate thing in front of my child?”

\----

Sans reeled back in shock, horror growing exponentially at every word. Blushing furiously, he spun to face Toriel — though he would very-much-rather-not-look-at-her-and-be-anywhere-except-right-where-he-was — holding up flat palms in distress. "n-nonono...—! that's not at all what i was trying to say your majesty toriel ma'am—! i-i j-just was trying to say h-how much i w-wanted a slice of y-your pie!" Somehow that didn't sound too much better. Sans wanted to die.

Frisk was practically rolling on the ground.

\----

Papyrus stomped a foot as he covered his mouth trying to contain his laughter, but it didn't last for long, and he threw his head back with a burst of laughter. “NYAHAHAHAHA! Oh, stars, I got you good, Sans! That look on your face was priceless! What a magnificent jape on my behalf!”

Toriel seemed to be at an utter loss for words, not sure if she was angry or amused or embarrassed or flattered or _what_! Finally, she let out a shaky, half-hearted chuckle. “Well.... That was a very good one, Papyrus, I suppose....”

\----

Still flushed with blue, Sans went to sit down. "well, i'm done with chair-raids forever...," he mumbled grumpily, giving Papyrus the slightest hint of a glare. Part of him had to admit it _was_ a good jape, but he was still too mortified to care.

Frisk crawled up next to him. "Where did you go?"

"oh, just took care of a little business, kiddo. think everything's in order now." He sighed, giving her hair a pet, then managed to glance over at the large goat monster. "uh, a-and i'm sorry, tori, for the misunderstanding...."

\----

“Oh, Sans, don't worry about it. All it did was catch me off guard. That being said, I apologize for my outburst. Don't be too angry with your brother, he was just swept up in the mood.”

“Yes. I apologize, Sans. I shouldn't have done that. I don't want you to stop playing chair-raids because of my needless teasing.” Papyrus looked guilty and a little embarrassed for putting Sans on the spot the way he did.

\----

Giving his face a gentle scrub with one hand, Sans took a deep breath and let it out. "heh, all right ... l-let's just forget about it," — he never really liked that particular phrase — "...except for the part where i'm excited for some pie, 'cause that's still true."

Frisk bounced eagerly, nodding in agreement.

\----

“Well, in that case, I shall serve you all some now. Sans, would you mind assisting me with something in the kitchen?”

Papyrus barely had time to sneak a teasing, knowing smirk to Sans as he watched Frisk take her turn in charades.

\----

Easing up a little more, Sans pushed himself up to stand. "well, of course, tori." Hands in his pockets, he followed Toriel into the kitchen — not missing Papyrus's look, cheeks tinging blue anew. He gave Papyrus a meaningful look of his own; his little brother wasn't going to get away with this unscathed.

Leaning against the counter, Sans took a small breath and smiled. "whatcha need?"

\----

Noticing Sans' look, Papyrus gulped nervously. “Oh, boy....”

“Oh, well, I was hoping you could grab me the ice cream from the freezer. I recently discovered that pie and ice cream are such a wonderful combination, akin to burgers and fries, or peanut butter and jelly. However, the coldness of the container stings my pads, but you don't have nerves to hurt — and you did used to wear shorts and slippers in a town of snow. Would you mind getting it for me please?”

\----

"oh, yeah, _snow_ problem," Sans replied, walking leisurely to the freezer and searching for the carton. It was a bit frosted over, but aside from slightly perceiving the coolness, it didn't bother him. Tucking it under his arm, he closed the freezer door and then turned to the utensil drawer to fish out the ice cream scooper.

Prying off the carton's lid, he stood close and at the ready. Sans's appetite had been slowly returning since leaving the Underground, and the pie's fragrance was really starting to entice him. "it's really _ice_ of you to make this for us, tori. oh, do you know if this ice cream has any lactose in it? pap can't have any if that's the case."

\----

Toriel’s eyes widened subtly at the little trivial fact about her friend’s younger brother. “Oh, dear, I didn't know that! Well, I'm afraid I picked out the one made from real milk. Perhaps we shouldn't have ice cream this time around, we wouldn't want to leave him out. Could you put it back?”

\----

He made a dismissive gesture. "aw, don't worry about it, he'll understand. just give him a little extra pie to make up for it." Sans smiled at her. She really was so sweet....

\----

“Very well, then, if you say so. You do know your brother best after all.” Toriel took out a knife and started cutting the pie into slices, placing them on small plates. She made sure to put an extra half slice on Papyrus' plate. “Hehee, Pa- _pie_ -rus has a lot of food here to eat, ehehehe!”

\----

Dishing out a scoop on all but his brother's plate, Sans chuckled with arched eyes, then shot her an amused grin. "i'm sure he'll find it very ... _filling!_ "

\----

Toriel laughed loudly. “Oh, Sans! You sure do know how to _tickle my funny bone!_ Hehehee!” Pausing before speaking again, her eyes sparkled in interest. “That actually reminds me of what Papyrus mentioned. He said you're ticklish?”

\----

Geeze, how he loved her laughter. After hearing it through a door for so long, actually seeing the monster it came from was such a treat. He was lost drinking in her adorable mannerisms until her pun and question slammed him back into the moment with a sharp panging in his metaphorical insides.

Pupils darting away, he subconsciously pulled in his limbs a little tighter, trying desperately not to let himself blush. "a-ah, u-uh ... y-yeah...?"

\----

“Well.... You wouldn't mind if I perhaps ... experienced it for myself sometime? I understand if it's uncomfortable or unpleasant for you, so I won't if you truly don't want me to. I can't hide my curiosity, though, and I know I'd find your laughter quite adorable; you are a _cutie pie_ after all.” She held up the remaining of the pie in the tin.

\----

Sans swallowed down the nervous utterances that he knew would be squeaky and stammer-y before even attempting to give her a proper reply. Geeze, he couldn't let her touch him, he would die. _He would die!_ But she was the queen of monsters, how could he refuse her anything? But that's exactly why he _had_ to! Oh, geeze, what was he going to do!?

Her visual pun made him release the breath he'd been holding out into a string of nervous chuckles. "i ... uh, i-if that'll make ya happy, th-then, um, okay."

Papyrus might have thought he had it coming before. He was really going to get it now.

\----

“Oh, nonono!” Toriel waved her paws almost frantically. “I want you to feel comfortable should I do it at all! If you don't trust me or the situation enough that is perfectly fine. I don't want you to feel you have to just because I used to be the queen or just to make me happy. It's what you want to do, Sans. I'll be happy with any choice you make.” She smiled sweetly in understanding.

\----

Breathing started to come a little more easily at her words, and he slowly began to relax. He smiled at her, finally able to meet her eyes again. "it's not that i don't trust you, tori, i just, uh ... have pretty _sans_ -itive bones, heh...."

\----

Holding a paw up to her muzzle, she giggled behind it. “Well, if you're comfortable enough to let me, I can assure you that I won't go overboard. Again, it's all up to you.”

\----

She was so very reassuring. "okay, i'll think about it," Sans said softly. Putting the scooper in the sink and shelving the ice cream carton back in the freezer, he grabbed up two of the plates, including the one for his brother. "but first, i'm dyin' to try this!"

\----

“You won't be disappointed.” Toriel grabbed the two remaining plates and walked into the living room. “Pie is ready!”

“Oh, goody, I'm starving! It smells so divine!” Papyrus’ eager grin was replaced by a concerned look as his gaze shifted to his brother. “Sans? Why are your cheeks blue?”

\----

Sans ducked his head down. "just eat your pie, pap," he muttered quietly and shoved the plate into his brother's hands. "you get a little extra since you can't have the ice cream. we'll make sure to get lactose-free next time."

Frisk bounced happily. "Thanks again for making pie, Mom!"

\----

“Oh. Okay, then.” He took a big bite out of the pie and grinned brightly, sloppily speaking through a full mouth. “WOWIE, LADY TORIEL! THIS PIE IS ABSOLUTELY EXQUISITE!”

Toriel laughed cheerfully. “Why, thank you, my child, and you, too, Papyrus.”

\----

Sans sat down and reverently took a taste. It was even better than it smelled, the sharp bite of cinnamon perfectly mellowed out by the smooth butterscotch. His own attempt had been so paltry compared to this. After swallowing, he looked at Toriel, eyes shimmering happily. "oh my gosh, tori, i _crust,_ say, this pie is perfect!"

Frisk snorted with her mouth full.

\----

“Awww, you all are so sweet, thank you! I'm so glad you all enjoy it!”

Papyrus continued to eat, practically shoveling the baked good into his mouth. “Pho, Phansph, did 'ou hear oph thith new phjob op'n'ingth at Grillby'ph rephtaurant? Ah'm gonna taph it! Phhe Greath Pupyruph phshall bfe ah phamouph phcheph yet!” He spit out a few crumbs of pie as he spoke through it, littering the carpet.

Toriel winced a bit. “Papyrus, dear, please don't speak with your mouth full, you're making a mess.”

“...Phorry.” He swallowed his mouthful before giggling and grinning sheepishly.

\----

Sans watched in amusement. "oh, hey, that's great, pap! you totally should. then you won't yell at me for going there anymore _and_ i'll have a great excuse to spend lunch and dinner with my favorite bro!" He chuckled, continuing a bit teasingly, "i'm really glad grillby got his business running again so quickly, i don't know what i'd do without my grease fix. hey, you think you could get me a family discount?"

\----

Papyrus glared at his brother. “The day I give you a family discount, Sans, is the day I start littering everyone with puns.”

\----

Sans grinned at Papyrus cheekily. "oh, but you do have a bit of a _punny bone_ yourself, bro. don't think i've forgotten."

\----

Summoning a magical bone, he gave Sans' ribs a warning poke. “Watch it, you.”

\----

"ghn-hn—~!" Sans twitched and clammed up instantly, suddenly very interested in getting back to his pie. He might've continued to egg Papyrus on if Toriel wasn't watching.

\----

Toriel didn't seem to notice Sans' reaction, too wrapped up in her own slice of pie.

Papyrus smirked deviously at Sans as he kept poking his ribs with the bone construct.

\----

Sans squeaked, putting a trembling hand to his mouth and setting his plate down as carefully as he could. He glanced at his brother in panic, shaking his head, trying to wave away the magical attack with his other hand.

\----

“Hey, Frisk, watch this.” Sneering playfully, Papyrus summoned a much smaller bone the size of a finger to poke Toriel's side.

The boss monster squeaked in alarm, nearly dropping her pie, and turned to Sans; at that point, both bones disappeared before she had a chance to see them. “Sans, why are you poking my side?”

\----

Frisk softly snickered, watching conspiratorially. Sticking another forkful of pie and ice cream in her mouth, she raised her knuckles to offer the taller skeleton a sneaky fist bump.

Sans glanced between the two monsters, fingers curling up to his chest in stress. "i-i...!" He swallowed thickly. "it wasn't me, i think pap was trying to get your attention. you have something to say to ms. toriel, bro?"

\----

“Nyeh?” Papyrus blinked in surprise, looking up from his fist bump with his little honorary sister, not having expected the ball to be in his court. That was before he gained a cheeky idea. “Well, if you wouldn't mind, Lady Toriel, it's just that you seem to be so close to my brother and the human. Sans and I were planning a tickle fight session later on in the afternoon and I was wondering if you and Frisk would like to join in the merriment. We could even have teams: me and Sans against you and Frisk”.

“Oh? Well, that certainly does sound like fun — and adorable — and it is a wonderful bonding ritual. I would be delighted to partake in the tickle fight! Thank you, dear!”

\----

Sans choked on air. Well, geeze, he'd walked into that one. "...'scuse me!" He hated how unnaturally high his voice sounded. Hopping up, he hurried to his room, closing the door and slumping to the ground in front of it in a curl.

Frisk blinked, watching him go. A tickle fight sounded like fun — and Mom approved! She was excited.

\----

“Sans? I'll be right back.” Toriel said after watching the smaller skeleton flee to his room, climbing to her feet to follow after him at a slower pace.

“Nyehehe....” Papyrus snickered as he picked Frisk up into his lap. “That's what he gets for trying to rattle the Great Papy—” He realized too late the pun he made and groaned loudly, facepalming. “GAH.... He's such a bad influence....”

\----

Frisk giggled, giving Papyrus an affectionate prod to the spine. "Well, you might have just doomed yourself with the teams. I know all your secrets...~"

\----

Papyrus’ eyes widened with a twitch and a squeak, and he gulped. “Oh, boy....”


	13. The Super Cool Monster Human Duo Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Frisk  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Toriel

Toriel made haste in trotting to Sans' room and hesitated a bit before softly rapping her knuckles gently on the door twice.

\----

Sans leaned his head back. He could have laughed if he wasn't so stressed. Different door, same knock. "...who's there?"

\----

“Watts...,” Toriel began, being reminded of their former days of trading jokes through the large Ruins door, smiling gently at the memories in spite of the current circumstances.

\----

Closing his eyes, Sans couldn't help a small smile. "watts who?"

Frisk beckoned Papyrus to lean closer. "But maybe, we can form a secret alliance?" she whispered.

\----

Toriel finished the questioning joke. Or was it a joking question? “Watts wrong, my friend?”

“A secret alliance? I like the sound of that!” Papyrus leaned in, whispering as softly as he could — which was still pretty loud — but with the other two occupants of the household upstairs, he was thankfully not overheard. “What is your idea, tiny sister?”

\----

He knew what the punchline would be, but still he softly chuckled. Sighing, he rose and opened the door, allowing her room to come in. "it's nothin' really.... pap's just trying to get under my skin. so to speak. well, okay, maybe he did, if you're concerned about me, heh..."

Frisk grinned. "What if we came up with a secret code so that during the fight, when one of us says it, we both team up against Mom and Sans? But mostly Sans?" She snickered.

\----

“Oh? How so? You two didn't have a fight recently or anything, right?” She frowned down at the skeletal monster in worry.

Papyrus grinned ecstatically. “I absolutely love that idea! But of course we shouldn't take anything too far on him, he doesn't appreciate torture. But yes, we should definitely do that! But what shall the code word be? Hmmm.... How about ... ‘puzzle’ for ‘get prepared to gang up on Sans and/or Lady Toriel’ and ‘jape’ for ‘gang up on them now’?”

\----

Sans shook his head, looking down, playing with his fingers. "heh, naw.... he just, uh ... well he knows i get anxious about my t-ticklishness in front of people, and he likes to tease me about it." He absently rubbed the back of his neck. "look, uh... i'll still participate in the fight and everything, but ... gh—!" Rocking on his heels, he couldn't keep the nerves out of his voice. "...i-if you still wanted to tickle m-me before that, maybe if i letcha do a l-little now, i w-won't be s-so freaked out...?"

Frisk nodded eagerly. "Sounds good. And yeah, we'll definitely back off if he's not having fun."

\----

Toriel tilted her head subtly to the side in concern. “Are.... Are you sure about that decision, Sans? You still seem very unsure of yourself. Are you certain you want to partake? You could always sit out if you really don't want to.”

“Perfect!” He gave Frisk a little high-five before gulping down the last of his pie. “Oh, man, that pie was so delicious! Lady Toriel makes it perfect every time! How does she do it?”

\----

Sans softly chuckled with a small smile, still looking away. "heheh ... see, when you say things like that, that just proves i don't have anything to be scared of...." There were other reasons, of course, but not anything he was going to say out loud. "how about ... if i let ya t-tickle me just for a little bit, and if i'm still anxious, i'll just sit it out this afternoon?"

Returning the high-five, Frisk smiled with a shrug. "I guess it's a secret power that moms have, or something? Butterscotch-cinnamon pie was the first thing Mom ever made for me."

\----

“That sounds fine to me. Frisk and I will just gang up on Papyrus, hehehe! So, do you have any particular spots you'd like for me to avoid?”

“Wowie, guess she makes it a lot, huh?” He sighed, smiling nostalgically, his sockets sparkling wistfully. “I still remember the very first day I met you. I was so pleased to know you liked me so much as to not hurt my feelings when eating my spaghetti during our date! Truth is, heh ... I knew my cooking was awful.” He grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his skull. “I suppose Undyne never really was the best teacher when it came to cooking. Fighting's more in her field.”

\----

Sans chuckled and relaxed a bit, falling to a sit on the edge of his bed. He held his hands up to gesture at his entire torso. "uhhh, pretty much this half'a me i guess.... i know that doesn't leave too much else, but otherwise it can get pretty overwhelming pretty quick...."

Frisk lightly gasped. "You knew? Hehe, well, it kinda made me like you even more, seeing how enthusiastic you were about it. I'm glad you still want to keep cooking anyway, I think you'll do great!"

\----

“Hmm.... In that case, how about the feet? Are you okay to start there?”

Papyrus was practically beaming at this point. “Aww, thank you so much for you wonderful words of encouragement, tiny sister! I know I'll learn and improve a lot more on the job at Grillby's new restaurant! Nyeh heh heh!”

\----

Oh, geeze, this was really going to happen, wasn't it? His feet were still agonizingly ticklish, but it was still bearable. He hoped. "th-that's fine. oh, uh, did you wanna sit down or anything? i want you to be comfortable too, heh."

Frisk smiled at him rather adoringly, then looked a bit excited. "I never actually got to eat there yet. Sans took me once, but the food got too cold while he was talking to me."

\----

“Oh, yes, thank you.” Toriel nestled down on her knees on the floor facing the bed before giggling in anticipation. “I can just imagine how adorable your laughter will sound!”

“Oh, really? Well, good! Grillby's food is WAY too greasy, a human like you wouldn't be able to stand it! That's why I'm going to improve the menu by balancing the grease out with various arrays of spaghetti!”

\----

Looking away bashfully, Sans fidgeted a little, carefully pushing off his slippers in turn, toes lightly curling. He tried not to think too deeply about who he felt so vulnerable in front of.

Frisk brought her hands up to her mouth, laughing into them. Then she leaned against Papyrus, hugging around his middle. "Well, I know I'll stay healthy with you watching out for me."

\----

“Awww! I've seen skeleton feet before, but yours are especially adorable and small!” She giggled as she playfully wiggled one of his toes gently.

“But of course, tiny sister! Spaghetti is the healthiest dish there is! Pasta is made of grains, and the sauce is made of vegetables! You can’t get healthier than grains and vegetables!” He grinned as he hugged her back.

\----

His cheeks were on fire before she even started. Geeze! He wanted to cover his face, but jumped and gripped the edge of the bed instead at her touch. Her furry fingers were much too soft! He squeaked, eyes squeezing shut, entire focus stolen by the gentle, teasing touch. "eeehe—~! kkhhehe~heehee!" His magic was tingling faintly with nerves, and he squirmed.

"You'll make other things too, right?" Frisk asked, nuzzling against the skeleton. "I really liked that breakfast you made while I stayed at your house."

\----

Toriel covered her mouth with her paws and cooed softly into them. “Oh, Sans, you are adorable!~ You must have very Sans-itive feet! Eheheehe!”

“Well, even I have to admit I do enjoy a bit of variety besides just pasta all the time, so of course I will! But spaghetti will always be my specialty.”

\----

"y-you have n-no idea...," Sans replied sheepishly, curling all of his toes fully once she let go. Geeze, everything she said, everything she did.... His SOUL faintly panged. Sans told it to hush.

“Aha, of course!” Frisk grinned with a soft giggle. "Did you ever figure out what happened to all your spaghetti back then? You said it disappeared along with the pots and stuff."

\----

Smiling, she gently glided her soft, fluffy index knuckle down his left sole.

“Oh? ...OH! Well.... Turns out I accidentally left them at Undyne's house again; I do that from time to time, nyeheh.”

\----

"eehee~haaaa—~!" Sans' reflexes kicking in like lightning, his foot hid the sole from her touch up against the side of the bed, fervently trying to rub the tingles away. Sockets wide, Sans quiveringly stared at her hand, wondering how such a soft, tickly thing could even exist. "...ummm, s-sorry ... i d-dunno if i can stay still, heh...."

Frisk laughed. "Oh, that's good. I thought maybe that dog got into your things again."

\----

“Ehehehe! Would you like me to hold you still? That is if restriction doesn't scare you too much. I could always just try to chase your feet around!” She scraped his soles gently with her filed claws, chasing them around as Sans' reflexes kicked in once again.

“Ugh.... He'd might as well.... He's so annoying.”

\----

"y-you might have to...—! oho gahahash! aahahaaaa! eheeehahaa~!" Her claws contrasted sharply in ticklish sensation with the soft fluff of her fur — and he could feel both when she used them. His feet danced around, unable to shake her off for long until he finally scrabbled backwards on the bed, tucking them under himself. Panting and still giggling, he glanced at her sheepishly. "heehee...! oh gosh ... i'm sorryhe ... uh, yeah, y-you might have to h-hang onto 'em. i'll letcha know if i can't take it...."

Softly giggling, Frisk sympathetically patted Papyrus's shoulder since she couldn't reach his head.

\----

“Ahahaheheehe! That's perfectly fine, I have a very strong grip. Just let me know when you can't take anymore. Now, let me see those adorable feet of yours!” Toriel giggled eagerly as she grabbed a gentle hold of both ankles in one massive paw. “Are you ready?”

“Nyehehe, thank you, tiny sister. I ... suppose the dog wasn't too bad. He was rather cute I'll have to admit.”

\----

Her grip was strong. Very soft, but powerful, and he knew he wouldn't have a chance of pulling away. He supposed such strength was natural for boss monsters. Leaning back on his elbows, he tipped his head toward his shoulder, gazing at her with a clearly apprehensive grin. His SOUL fluttered a little too wildly inside him, and he knew there was no way he wasn't blushing. "...okay, y-yeah. go ahead."

Frisk nodded. "I wonder what happened to him? I feel like I saw him just about everywhere, but I haven't since we came out of the Underground."

\----

Toriel smiled as she lightly stroked all five fuzzy claws up and down his soles, all the way down to his heels and up to under his toes; the grip on Sans' ankles made it practically impossible for him to move anything other than his toes.

“Actually, I know exactly what happened to him: turns out he was an abandoned puppy scavenging through Snowdin Town, so Dogamy and Dogaressa decided to adopt him and raise him as their own.”

\----

Sans slammed onto his back almost immediately, writhing and tugging, and clutching and clawing at everything his restless hands came into contact with — but his ankles were steadfastly pinned, feet unable to do much more than twitch. His toes flexed and wiggled, trying to keep their distance.

"ohoho gaahahaa—! ahehee—! ahahaaaa! hahaahahaa! ihihit t-tihihickles, tohoriiiiiii—! eeeheheehe~! nn~naahahaaa—ahahaa~!"

Not only was she naturally equipped with deadly ticklish tools, she was also devastatingly good in her technique. Probably through lots of practice with her children.

Gasping in delight, Frisk smiled broadly. "Ohh, that's good news. I'm glad he has a family now. I really liked those two."

\----

“Oh, how absolutely adorable!” Giggling happily, she now gently tickled all over his toes.

“Most certainly! They do such a good job raising him I've heard!”

\----

"oho nohohoooo!" Sans squealed, arching his back and wriggling a bit. His fingers tangled into the fabric of his shirt and he lightly thumped his head in the sheer ticklish agony. "aiiieeeheheheeee~! eeheeehee! heehehee—! nnhnn—~! plehehease, nahaahat toohoo muhuch!"

Frisk was about to comment further when the shrill sound caught her attention. Looking in the direction of Sans' room, she began to snicker. "I guess they started the fight without us."

\----

“Oh! I'm sorry, Sans!” She stopped tickling, letting him breathe. “I apologize, I didn't mean to get carried away. Are you okay?”

“Aww, what?! How unsportsmanlike of them! Let's go and make our debut, Frisk!” Papyrus picked up Frisk and trotted towards the room.

\----

Sans panted out chuckles, sliding a quivering hand to one side of his face. "heheh ... geheeze, tori.... y-you got ... a wicked sehet of fingers.... hff.... but, i'm all right, heh...." He didn't know if he actually was all right. His magic was squirming inside of him and he felt sort of float-y. He was sure his blush was permanently burned on him at this point.

Frisk giggled in devious agreement in Papyrus' arms.

\----

“I'll let you rest if you really want me to—”

Papyrus burst into the room, quickly placing Frisk on the floor, and launched himself at Toriel. “NYAAAAAH!”

Toriel let out a startled cry as she fell back under Papyrus' momentum. “P-Papyrus?! What are you—?!”

“Thought you could start the tickle fight without us, eh? Well, you are sadly mistaken! The Great Papyrus and his brother shall win! NYEHEHEHEEH!” He began skittering his gloved fingers along Toriel's sides.

She let out a squeak of surprise before gritting her teeth and snickering, squirming around, holding a hand up to her muzzle to keep her laughter in. “E-Ehehee! P-Papyrus! W-We wehehere not— Ahaaha! You silly skeletohon! Nohohoho!”

\----

Sans was equally startled, but any mortification that flared quickly drained away ... only to quickly be replaced by giddy pangs of hazy exhilaration. Toriel was so adorably ticklish herself, and how he so very much wanted in on that.

But this was a fight and he and Papyrus were a team, so he would wait for the opportune moment. His gaze fell to Frisk and he grinned. "hey there, squirt."

She frenziedly squealed in preemptive anticipation as the small skeleton's magic overtook her, lifting her up to him. He turned her SOUL back to normal once she was secured in his lap, fingers wiggling and spidering from her belly to her armpits. Her squealing segued to high-pitched giggling laughter.

"heheheh, that's right, bro. any side with you on it's gonna win, naturally. glad i'm on it."

\----

Papyrus smirked as he continued his tickle onslaught on the boss monster. “But of course! Team Papyrus will surely wi—EEEEE!” He squealed as Toriel quickly turned to glide her claws up and down his spine, causing his arms to retract to his vertebrae as he tried and failed to push her paws away. “NYAAAHAAHAHA! YOUR CLAHAWS ARE SO T-TIHIHICKLY! AHAHAAHA!”

Laughing joyfully as she gently pinned the skeletal monster on his back, Toriel tickled away at his spine as he flailed fruitlessly. “Too bad Team Frisk has strength, determination, and tickly fur on her side! Eheehe!”

\----

Feeling empathetic tingles, Sans shivered at the sight. "h-hang in there, pap! i'll help ya out!" Still holding Frisk, he scooted himself off of the bed, sitting on his knees on the floor. Tickling the small human's side with one hand, he tentatively reached out the other, wiggling fingers at Toriel's neck.

Since he was only half-focused on her now, Frisk giggled, darting a hand under the arm he was using against her mom.

Sans squeaked, curling it back. "oh, is that the way we're gonna play this, huh?" He wrapped both arms around the girl, lifting up her shirt and tickling her belly mercilessly.

Frisk shrieked hysterically, pedalling her legs.

\----

Toriel giggled as she moved to Papyrus' underarms now, gently tickling away. “Will you forfeit, dear? Or should I keep tickling you?” She flinched and grinned widely as Sans’ more potent bony fingers invaded her neck, but thankfully it didn’t last long, so her concentration hadn’t been broken.

Papyrus threw his head back and stomped his boots against the ground as he weakly tried to push her arms away, cackling loudly. “NAAHAHAAHAHA! N-NEHEVER! THE GREHEHEAT PAPYRUS NEHEHEVER SURRENDERS!”

“Okay, then, you asked for it.” Giggling, she bent down and blew a raspberry on his spine.

He squealed, nearly going silent, as he arched his back. “......HAAAAaaa...!~ S-SAHAHANS, HEHE _HELP_ —!”

\----

Sans kept up his onslaught as he gently laid the giggling girl on the ground, then quickly withdrew so he could come to his brother's aid. This time, as he reached for the goat monster, he felt tiny fingers scrabbling over his feet, but he did his best to push through, especially driven by Papyrus's cry for assistance. "gheh~! ahaha—! unhahand myhehe bro, aha, o-or you'll hahaafta deheal wihith mehehe!" Latching his fingers onto Toriel's sides, he gently wiggled and pinched and squeezed, then rapidly spidered up along her back and shoulders, raking back down.

\----

Toriel yelped and tried to gently bat away Sans' hands with one paw as the other tickled away at Papyrus’ spine. “E-Eheehehe! You wahahant me to gehet you next?” She twisted around, leaving Papyrus to regain his breath and stamina, and began to gently tickle Sans' underarms, trying not to overwhelm him.

Papyrus laid limply still, sprawled out on the floor, panting heavily. “Ohhhhh....”

\----

Sans squeaked, folding up his arms tightly against himself, but that only managed to trap her paws. He weakly curled his fingers around her wrists. "aaaiiiieeeheeeeeeehee~! eheee—! noho—! pleheheeeeeeeehease! hehehee, oh gahahahaaaaaa...—!" He helplessly leaned his head back, squirming and twisting — his feet also jumping, toes curling, as Frisk kept on them. He didn't know how much Papyrus had been sapped, but, perhaps if he kept the girls distracted enough.... He desperately hoped Papyrus wouldn't take too long to recover.

\----

Finally gaining his strength back, Papyrus sat up, then smirked and winked at Frisk. “Puzzle!”

Slightly distracted by the outburst that came out of literally nowhere, Toriel’s tickle assault faltered a bit. “P-Puzzle?... What?”

\----

Frisk grinned and winked back, slowing her assault on Sans and getting in position for her next move. She suddenly pounced on Toriel with a cry of, "Jape! Hehehehe!", sliding her fingers under the goat monster's arms and wiggling.

\----

“ _Aaahh_! Ahahahaaaa! M-My child, whahahat are you doing?! Eehehehehahahaaha!” Completely caught off guard, Toriel collapsed to the ground and squirmed around under the child's tickle onslaught.

“NYEHEHEH!” Papyrus pounced on Sans and spider-tickled all over his ribs fast and hard. “TAKE THIS, BROTHER!”

\----

"Gotchaaa~!" Frisk sang, sitting on top of the boss monster, dancing and darting her tiny fingers everywhere in reach.

"wahaaaiiit, whahaaa—!? paaaaaahahap! you sneheheaks! ahaaahahaaaaaa!" Sans writhed, eyes wide as he feebly slapped at his brother's hands. It was all too much, however, and Sans tried wrapping his arms protectively about himself instead, gasping with laughter. "aahaa—! ahahahaaa! nahahat there! haha~haaa, stahahaappit! stahaaaaaaaahahaaaap!" The switch from gentle, fluffy tickles to rougher, bony ones threw him for a loop. How did so many things tickle so much!?

\----

“Ahaahaha! Frihisk! You won't get ahaway with this!” Toriel powered through the tickling to gently squeeze Frisk's sides.

Papyrus lifted up Sans' shirt to blow raspberries on his spine, still tickling his ribs. “NYAHAHAH!”

\----

Frisk squealed, trying to roll herself away from the large paws, but was easily caught into them. "Eeek~! Ahaaaa~haha! Hehehee!"

Sans thrashed with a stuttered screech, fervently trying to push his shirt back down. "gghkaaaaa—haaaaaha—! nonononohoho! d-dohon't doohoo thaaaaahahaaaat! ahahaaaaaaaa!" Tossing his head, he pulled up his legs, kicking them back out helplessly. "c-c'mon, pahap, w-wehe're aha teheeeheeheam, buhuddy! aaahahaaa!" he tried to appeal.

\----

Placing Frisk in her lap, Toriel resumed gently squeezing her sides. “This is what happens when you go against your teammates, my child! Ahahaha!”

“Frisk and I have made a secret alliance, one that I will now dub the Super Cool Monster Human Duo Alliance!” He tickled under Sans' arms as he gently nibbled his ribs.

\----

"I hahave no rehegrets! Ahahaaa~!" Frisk leaned back against Toriel, giggling and squirming quite happily.

"noho fahaahair, broho! wehe dihidn't hahave a suhuper cool teheam naha—aaaiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee—~!" Such sensitive spots at once — not to mention the method — was excruciating. Magic flaring wildly, Sans clenched his fingers, grabbing Papyrus' SOUL, flipping his brother off him and to his back on the floor, barely maintaining enough control to make it gentle.

\----

“Oh, no? Then how about if I do this?” She smirked playfully as she poked and tickled Frisk's feet and toes.

Papyrus let out a squeal of surprise as he was flung off, and thankfully he didn't show any signs that he was injured. Gulping nervously, he tried to sit back up, but his SOUL was too heavy. “Uh-oh....”

\----

"Eeee~hee! Eeeeeek! Aha! Hahaa~heehehee!" Curling up, Frisk lightly kicked her legs, then reached for Toriel's stomach in retaliation, prodding and raking with fingertips.

Slowly straightening himself out, Sans rose to a sit on his knees, breathing heavily. Shuffling over to Papyrus, eye glowing brightly with magic, Sans softly grinned down at him. "hff.... hey pap. get ready ... hh ... for a ton of revenge. a _skele-ton_.” He hadn't tried it before, but he guessed it would be relatively the same, now that he knew it was possible, thanks to Papyrus; a dozen bone attacks spawned and hovered around him, but instead of being conjured with the purpose to hurt upon touch, he poured his intention into them — they were now his tickle tools and nothing more.

\----

Toriel gasped and laughed much louder, her belly proving to be a sweet spot. She fell over on her back and kicked out her legs. “A-Ahaaaahaaha! Frihihisk! Eheehehahaaa!~”

Papyrus grinned nervously and giggled in anticipation. “U-Ummm.... C-Can we just let bygones be bygones, my dear brother whom I love and cherish more than life itself?...”

\----

"Hehehe!" Frisk pressed the advantage while she could, leaning in and buzzing her lips against the goat monster's stomach.

"oh, i dunno about that, pal. this fight was your idea.... ya'know, after trying to embarrass your dear loved and cherished brother and all. so, i think maybe you've had this coming." He gave a slightly exaggerated shrug and a wink.

The attacks split off into pairs, two for each foot, two for hips, two for spine, and the same for ribs and neck. They prodded and scraped and tapped and twisted at a leisurely pace, while Sans quietly conducted them with a sizeable grin.

\----

“ _Eeeee_ ee! Aaaahaahahaha!” She threw her head back and laughed loudly, squeezing Frisk's sides and ribs gently as retaliation.

“NYAAHAAHAHAAAA!~ AHAAAHAHAHA! NOHO! S-SANS! I'M SAHAHARRYYY! GAAHAHAHAAA _AAA_!” He bucked and thrashed around as much as he could, trying to focus enough magic to summon his own bones. He only had enough concentration to summon one, which he used to rapidly poke at Sans' sweet spot on his back.

\----

And just like that, Frisk was back on the defensive, curling and giggling. "Truhuce! Truce! Hehehe!"

"ghhk— _hehee~!_ " Sans choked on a squeak, his own attacks faltering, half of them fizzling out. Arching his back and twisting a bit, he stretched his arms back behind him, trying to stop the relentless assailant. "aaa—! ahah! aaaaahaaa! eeeheheee—! noho, pl—! pleheease!" He lost hold of the gravity spell, his remaining attacks lingered and shivered in the air.

\----

“I have you now, dearie!” Toriel giggled as she lifted up Frisk's belly and blew a fluffy raspberry on it, lightly skittering her claws up and down her sides and ribs, outright ignoring the little girl's pleas for the time being.

“NYEH HEH HEH!” A little breathless, Papyrus leapt up and gently pinned Sans down on his front before sending a few more bones to lightly prod and scrape his sweet spots.

\----

Frisk shrieked, almost paralyzed under the powerful ticklishness of the raspberry, before kicking and wriggling around with squeaky giggles. "Ehehe~eeee—~! Okahayy! I gihive uhup! Eheee~! I'll behe on your side ahagain!"

Sans helplessly pounded the ground with a fist, tears dripping from tightly squeezed-shut sockets. "ahehe cahan't wihihin...—!" he lamented, burying his face in the sleeve of one arm, shoulders shaking with silent laughter for a few moments. "...~! ...aaaaahaaa...—! oho gahahash, pahap, pleeeeehease...—! eeheehe...~! ihihit t-tihihickles so m-muhuch...—! ...please...! ahaaaaaahaa!"

\----

Toriel giggled and stopped tickling. “Good girl, hehehe!” She looks over at the brothers and smirked. “Since you're on my side now, that means you're no longer on Papyrus'. Why don't we both help poor Sans out, hmm?”

“I shall stop once you surrender! Nyehehehe!” He decided to show mercy and stopped tickling Sans' back, and instead poked and tickled his ribs and spine.

\----

Frisk nodded, then stood up on her toes to whisper in Toriel's ear. "Papyrus has really ticklish hips." She snickered.

"ahaa—! ahahaa, okahahayhehe...!" Squirming as much as he could, Sans turned his head to the side in defeat, squinting at Papyrus through his tears. "ahehe suhurrehehender! lehehmme goho! ahahaaa!"

\----

Toriel giggled softly into her paws. “Is that so?”

Papyrus stopped tickling and stood up to strike a victorious pose. “NYEH HEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WINS AGA- _AAAAIIIIEEE_!!” He let out a high-pitched squeal as Toriel began squeezing and skittering her claws along his hip bones, then collapsed to the ground and kicked out wildly as he struggled fruitlessly to shove her away. “ _AAAAA_ HAAHAHAHA! OH, GAHAHAASH! AHAAAAAHAAHA! STAP, STAP, STAHAHAAAA—!...”

Toriel laughed as she kept tickling. “Oh, Frisk, you weren't kidding, ahahaa! Now let's all teach the Great Papyrus some manners!”

\----

Giggling deviously, Frisk pounced next to Papryus' middle, darting her fingers to his spine and stroking.

Sans panted and wheezed, but glanced at the other three with an amused smile. Summoning a couple bones once more, he sent them to chase Papyrus' feet from his safe distance away.

\----

Papyrus flung his head back and squealed loudly with laughter, tears beginning to trickle down his bright orange cheeks, and he kicked and bucked and flailed and squirmed as much as he possibly could. Now he knew how Sans felt whenever he and Frisk would mercilessly gang-tickle him, and it was not a good feeling. “AHAHAAAA _AAAA_! P-PLEEEHEEHEHAHAHAA—! NYAAAHAHAAHAHA! _NOOOO_ OOOHOHOHAHAA!”

“Sorry, dearie, but you've been the tickle master for far too long! Karma's a real thorn in the side, isn't it?” Toriel laughed and nuzzled the back of Papyrus' skull, making him squeak and giggle louder.

\----

Propping up his elbow, Sans leaned his chin on his knuckles, watching, but not easing up on his magical attack. "i know you're not one to give up, bro, but it's not really all that bad in surrender-ville over here, heh."

\----

“N-NEHEVER! THE G-GREAT PAHAPYRUHUHUS NEVER SURREHENDERS! NYAAHAAHAHA!”

“I'm sure the three of us will get you to snap eventually. What do you two think?” She began planting tickly kisses along the back of his skull, making him blush intensely and squeal.

\----

Sans grinned. He still felt protective and a bit bad for his brother, but ... Sans was still feeling a bit vengeful for all of Papyrus' earlier antics. If he noticed his brother truly starting to suffer, he'd be sure to put a stop to it. "oh, i think we may be able to tickle a little sense into him ... or tickle him outta his senses, heheheh!" Pressing the bone attacks against Papyrus' ankles, he managed to pin them to the floor, and he pushed himself up to walk over and attend to his brother's soles personally.

Frisk nodded. "Sorry, Papyrus, I wanted to stay in our secret alliance, but I was forced to turn against you." She snickered, not really sounding too sore about it, paying closer attention to his vertebrae.

\----

Toriel spider-tickled across his hip bones. “Well, regardless of how long it takes, I'm sure all of us can agree that we'd be willing to wait, hehehe!”

“GAHAAAHAHAAHA! EHEEEEHEEHEHE! OH, NOHOHO! NOHOOOHAAHAHAAHA! IT-IT TIHIHICKLES SO BAAAAHADLY, YOU GUYHYS!” He flung his head back and forth, sending tears flying in every direction.

\----

Lightly gliding a fingertip in circles over Papyrus' right sole, Sans used his other hand to gently grasp a toe on the left foot between finger and thumb, leisurely wiggling and rolling it with utmost care. "heheh, tori's right, bro. if you don't want to give in just yet, that's perfectly fine with me. i still got a few bones to pick with ya."

Hugging her arms around his middle, Frisk leaned in close and gently peppered his spine with ticklish kisses, occasionally stopping to giggle a bit, then resuming.

\----

He yelped at the gentle foot tickling and squealed at the spine kisses, bouncing around and curling up his toes tightly. “AHAAA! HAAAHAHA! Y-YOU AHAHALL SHALL BECOHOME BORED OF TRYHYHYING TO BREAK MEHEE! I'LL NEVER GIVE UHUHUP!” Despite all that he’d claimed through uncontrollable laughter, he began to feel his resolve slowly breaking, and his SOUL lurched in alarm. He just _had_ to hold out!

\----

Instead of prying Papyrus's toes back, Sans gently pried them apart, scritching and twisting his fingers between them one at a time, occasionally sliding and wiggling fingertips over the tops of his feet and toes. "oh, i _toe_ -tally think we can wait you out, bro. no shame in admitting de- _feet_."

Frisk was so very curious ever since Papyrus had taught his methods on Sans to her; she didn't want to accidentally hurt him or be accidentally hurt, so she was very hesitant and careful and brief when she gave his spine the slightest nibble.

\----

“EEHEEHEHAAHA! NEHEVER! I-I'LL NEVER— _AHAAAYIIIEEEE_!!” Papyrus let out one of the loudest squeals he'd ever emitted as Frisk nibbled his spine, and he fell into silent laughter for a few moments before inhaling with a loud _snort_! “...HAAAAHAAHA...! F-FRISK, NOHOHOHAHAAHA! P-PLEHEHEASE...! NYAHAHAAAA!...~”

\----

Sans glanced back to see what Frisk was doing, then grinned with a soft snicker. "i think you should keep that up, kiddo, 'bout time pap learns what that feels like." Changing up his position, Sans slid down on his front, leaning in with arched eyes to nuzzle under his brother's toes with his teeth, humming softly. "kitchy kitchyyy! you're soooo ticklish, pap, heheh."

A bit surprised by his powerful reaction to her teeth, Frisk giggled, deciding to show a bit of mercy and not to go all out, but now she worked in a few nibbles — and buzzes as well — as she resumed her smooching.

\----

Papyrus’ flailing began to slow down as he started losing strength from using all his energy at once, and his cackling rose an octave. As much as he hated losing or giving in to anything, he just couldn't take it anymore. It was too much! “AHAHAAAAA...! R-R-RAHAAHAHA! NYAHAAAAHAHAA! REHEHEEHAHAHA! _AAAAAA_ HAHAAAHAHAHA...!”

\----

Hearing what sounded like attempts at their safe word, Sans immediately pulled back. "everyone stop now," he said rather commandingly.

At his tone, Frisk withdrew and sat up.

"you okay, pap? ready to surrender?"

\----

Toriel stopped tickling immediately, but she still held Papyrus still.

Wheezing and huffing heavily, Papyrus hung his head and fell limp in Toriel's hold in exhaustion, tears still dripping from his sockets. He didn't answer for a while until he caught his breath. “Hah.... Hff.... Hhf.... Y-Yes.... Th ... Th' Gre ... Great P-P'pyr's ... surr... end'rs.... Ohhhhh....”

\----

Expression softening, Sans gently took his brother's feet, pressing and squeezing against them with his palms, trying to massage away any lingering tingles. "heh, s'kay, pap. you lasted quite a while for how intense that must'a been. hey, frisk, would you get some water for him please, kiddo?"

"Yeah." She nodded, giving Papyrus a pat on the head before bounding off.

\----

Smiling sympathetically, Toriel took to Sans' example to massage his shoulders — or rather the part of his neck that wasn’t protected by his battle body — after resting him comfortably in her lap. “Oh, you poor thing, you seem to be really _bone_ -tired now.”

Papyrus was too caught up in the blissful massage to hear the pun, let alone get huffy at it. He moaned softly in comfort as he sunk into the wonderful feeling. “Th'nks...~”

\----

A minute later, Frisk returned with a glass of water, holding it out, smiling. "Here you go."

"thanks, kiddo." He grinned at her, then looked at the goat monster. "hey, would you mind helping him to drink it, tori?"

\----

“I'd be delighted to.” Taking the glass, she began to slowly feed it to Papyrus.

He drank it, accidentally going a little too fast, and hunched over to cough and sputter.

“Oh, dear! Not too fast, Papyrus. I'm tipping it over slowly for a reason? Are you okay?” She rubbed his back as he finished coughing.

“Y-Yes.... S-Sorry....”

\----

"easy, bro, easy...," Sans murmured. "well, uh ... heh." He glanced away, rubbing at the back of his neck. "i guess that was pretty fun...." He looked back between Papyrus and Frisk. "even if the two of you are sneaky little traitors."

Frisk snickered with a devious grin.

\----

Papyrus gave a weak, yet still mischievous smile. “Nyeheh.... It was still totally worth it.”

Toriel let out a playful sigh and rolled her eyes. “Oh, you silly little things. But yes, I had fun, too, and I must say I can't wait for the next tickle fight. This time to avoid any secret alliances, however, I'll be teamed with Sans. He knows better than to set up a secret alliance against me anyhow. _Right_ , Sans?” She narrowed her eyes mischievously at Sans.

\----

Sans tensed, his limbs drawing up a bit closer to himself, eyes locked on her. Oh, he knew better all right. She was the only one who hadn't surrendered in this fight. He nodded vigorously.

Briefly, almost guiltily, he wondered how much it would be needed to take down the boss monster. Even if all three of them worked together against her, it wouldn't be easy. Maybe if they had Undyne on their side....

He stopped himself from thinking any further down that road. Geeze, maybe he didn't know better after all.

"h-heheh ... maybe i'll have a chance against you next time, bro."

\----

Papyrus chuckled tiredly. “We'll just have to see about that, brother. Even after this defeat, I am still the ultimate tickle master! ...Well, one of them anyway.” He looked up at Toriel and chuckled sheepishly.

She smirked playfully. “Oh, yes, you all know now not to cross me. Make any more secret alliances and I won't be so gentle next time.”

“D-Don't worry, we won't, we've learned our lesson! ...Nyeheheh....”

\----

"We'll play fair next time," Frisk said in agreement. She was still glad they did it though.

Sans started to relax again. "say, pap, when are you gonna apply for that job? you see anything around suited for me?"

\----

Now having regained a majority of his breath and stamina, Papyrus sat up with excitement at his brother’s question. “Oh! Well, Grillby said that he needs a few days to get his restaurant prepared for hiring, so I'll go and apply when he's ready. As for you, I was actually reading through the Golden Valley paper and circled a few possible options for you. Gimme a sec to get it....” He reached into his battle body and pulled out a folded newspaper before handing it to Sans. There were a few circled job hirings, and among the listings were janitor at Toriel's school, stand-up comedian for Snowdrake's show on weekends, and quantum physics assistant at the Golden Valley Lab where Alphys worked. “I know how much you like making people laugh with your puns, and you're pretty clever in the quantum physics field. I also know how much you like spending time with Lady Toriel.” He smirked teasingly.

Toriel giggled and gently batted Papyrus' head with a soft paw, causing him to flinch with a snicker. “Oh, leave your brother alone.”

\----

Sans raised the newspaper to hide his blush at the teasing comment, but settled down pretty quickly, skimming through the brief descriptions that went with each, a bit excited by the prospects. "wow, any of these would be great! heh, thanks for lookin' out for me, pap." Folding the paper back up, he tucked it in his pocket, then grinned, shooting Papyrus a cheeky expression. "if i'm going to be sampling your cooking, would you ever come see me if i did stand up?"

\----

He let out a long sigh, then smiled. “Well, even though I can't stand your puns, that doesn't mean I won't support you. So yes, I will come, provided I remember to bring earplugs for my nonexistent ears.”

\----

Chuckling, Sans gave him a small affectionate push. "well, that's fine. i can try out some visual puns through chair-raids when you're there."

\----

Papyrus narrowed his eyes. “Well, aren't you generous.... Perhaps I shall let you test my habanero pasta sauce once you visit the restaurant.”

“Okay, boys, no quarreling,” Toriel gently chided.

\----

About to retort, Sans immediately clammed up at Toriel's prompting. "yes, ma'am!" Leaning back, he turned to look at her. "so, how're things going with the school?"

\----

“Oh, it's wonderful! All the children are so sweet and charming! Little Frisk here is one of my best students, but I suppose it's expected when she has a teacher for a mother; I do like to make sure she gets all her homework done after all.”

\----

Frisk nodded. "Mom makes homework fun though. It's nicer when you can work through it with someone else."

"well, hey, kiddo, whenever you get to learning the sciences, you can always come to me for help with that! ...uh, that is if it's okay with, uh, your mom, of course." Sans smiled sheepishly.

Frisk giggled.

\----

“Oh, Sans, you don't need to ask my permission. I'd love for Frisk to spend time with you and Papyrus, so of course you can.” Turning her attention back to Frisk, she added, “And then Papyrus can help you once you start a foods class next year.”

Papyrus jumped to his feet to strike a pose, hia scarf fluttering in the nonexistent wind. “NYEH HEH HEH! MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS SHALL TEACH YOU ALL ABOUT THE ART OF SPAGHETTI AND OTHER RELATED CULINARY DISHES!”

“Don't forget important stuff, Papyrus, like cleanliness and sanitation, foodborne illnesses, time and temperature abuse, cross-contamination, and others in the like.”

His sockets widened. “You can get sick from food?! ...Oh, wait, I get sick from eating dairy. Huh. Perhaps there's still a lot more that even the Great Papyrus needs to learn. Who knew?”

\----

Sans shot Papyrus an amused look. "maybe you should enroll in that class with her, bro?" He lifted his hands to his mouth, shaking with pent up chuckles. "oh gosh, what i wouldn't give to see you sitting in one of those little chairs...!"

\----

“I am not going to a grade school, Sans. Unless you'd like to attend a class that teaches how to tell proper jokes.”

Toriel gasped lightly. “Papyrus!”

“Whaaaaat? I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to use jokes that aren't all pun-related. It can get old really quickly if you ask me.”

\----

"i'll have you know i'm a well-rounded comedian! or i would be if i weren't a skeleton." Sans chuckled patting his stomach area. "i just go for puns a lot 'cause they annoy ya so much, pap." He winked. "but if ya really want me to, i can go into some long winded joke about three different monsters going to grillbys, havin' the whole banter-y run around, and then by the end i'll realize i had forgotten the _pun_ ch-line, heheheh."

\----

Papyrus rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, sitting back down on the floor. “Well, you obviously aren't that well-rounded if you make puns like that. I've heard you make much better than that, and all of them are pretty awful.”

\----

Sans' sockets went dark. Then he grinned broadly. "all right," he said slowly, a little dangerously, starting to approach Papyrus. "i've got one for ya. so there's these two brothers, and one wants to make the other laugh, right...?"

\----

Papyrus stiffened before curling up defensively. “Y-You'd better not, Sans!... I'll-I'll just get you back! You know that!”

\----

Ignoring him, but looking a bit pleased, Sans pressed on. "so, the one brother starts telling a joke to the other. he says 'how do you make a skeleton laugh?'. i bet you already know how this joke goes, right? finish the joke for me, pap." He leaned in, hands behind his back, dark sockets narrowed in a hollow smirk. "how do you make a skeleton laugh?"

\----

Papyrus began to uncontrollably tremble the longer he stared into his older brother’s hollow, eerily dark sockets, and he gulped. That malicious grin and those pitch-black sockets always scared the daylights out of him as he recalled seeing the same expression all the time whenever Sans would take down his bullies at school as a babybones; it was absolutely horrifying! He would always quiver in fear as Sans would stare down his bullies with that same expression, but now that it was being used on him it felt as if his SOUL had stopped pulsing magic and life energy through him. He didn't even realize that tears of fear were brimming his widened sockets, or that he was whimpering and trembling like a lost puppy.

“Sans!” Toriel gasped. “You're scaring him! Stop it now, please.”

\----

Sans's pupils flickered back, his grin falling rapidly. "oh, geeze, pap!" He fell back, concern growing in his expression and voice. "i'm so sorry! i didn't mean to freak ya out, just make you a little anxious for a stupid joke. oh, gosh, i'm such a jerk! sorry, pap!" He looked down, wanting to reach out to comfort his brother, but was unsure how he'd respond.

\----

At Sans' change of voice and expression, reality came flooding back to him. Without much thought, Papyrus hugged Sans tightly, blinking away his tears. “It-It's okay, Sans, I forgive you. Just ... no more using that face please. It's really scary.”

\----

Hugging back equally tight, Sans nuzzled him, petting his neck soothingly. "i didn't know it scared you so much. i'll never use it on ya again, okay? thanks for forgiving your bonehead of a brother, pap."

\----

Papyrus gently smiled again with a soft sniffle. “You didn't know, it's okay. I'm just sorry for becoming as scared as I did. I mean, I knew you weren't going to hurt me. But.... Well.... Just seeing the way those bullies back in school looked at you in terror, and then for you to use your bone attacks on them.... It wasn't a very pretty sight.”

\----

With his face obscured up against his brother, Sans allowed his expression to grow bitter at the memories. "yeah, well, those guys deserved it for all they did to you. you don't deserve that from me. geeze, i wasn't even really gonna tickle ya, i just went a little overkill, i'm so sorry...." His SOUL felt heavy, different than the magical gravity effect he was so used to, and it ached. He hated seeing his brother hurt or scared, and being the cause of Papyrus's distress ripped him apart inside, even if he was so nice to forgive him.

\----

“Hey, I already said it's okay, Sans, you don't need to be sorry anymore.” He smiled and nuzzled Sans' skull affectionately. “Will you smile for me again, brother?”

\----

Sans appreciatively sighed at the affection, squeezing him, smile already slowly returning. "heh ... maybe ... if you finish the joke, huh? how do you make a skeleton laugh?"

\----

Papyrus huffed in a good-natured fashion before smirking playfully and poking his ribs gently. “You tickle his funny bone, you silly lazybones.”

\----

"eehee~!" Sans twitched and flinched with arched eyes, then gave Papyrus a sly grin as he countered, "no, you're the silly one, skeletons don't laugh! well, at least by human standards." He chuckled, gingerly wiggling fingers at his brother's neck, teasing "maybe you need to go back to grade school after all, heheheh."

\----

Papyrus squeaked and giggled quite happily, tilting his head to the side, and ups the ante on the rib poking. “Oh-Oh, yeahah? We'll see about thahahat!”

Toriel giggled as she watched the two from the background.

\----

Sans squeaked as well, arm coiling back, but he managed to resume his gentle assault, brushing a trembling thumb against the side of Papyrus' neck and gliding and scratching fingers under his chin. "aah~! ahaha! ehe—! heheh, i-i'll wihin one of thehese t-tihimes...!"

Frisk sat next to Toriel, giggling behind her hands. "They're so funny," she whispered to the goat monster.

\----

“Ehehee! D-Don't cohount on it! Nyeheheehahaa!” Shaking his head around as he tried to block out the tickles, Papyrus lightly glided his fingers up and down Sans’ ribs and spine, struggling to fight his arm's reflexes to retract them back.

“That they are, my child, ehehee! But it's nice to see them bonding like this. They have the closest sibling relationship I have ever seen in my life.”

\----

"kkheheeh—~! aaahaha, noho, n-nahaahaa—!" In order not to curl up, Sans clasped his arms around his brother's neck, shaking and giggling against him, fingers lightly teasing and dancing at the nape's ridges when his fingers weren't overtaken by ticklish stress. "ggh-haha! oho gahash, i-it t-tick-khles...~!" He rocked and lightly twisted his torso, but wasn't even close to shaking off those long, clever fingers.

Frisk nodded eagerly. "I don't know what they'd do without each other...." She seemed thoughtful.

\----

“Ahaahaheehe! Oh-Oh, geheheeze! Nyeheehe! Oh, it dohoes!” He struggled to see out of watery sockets, beginning to twiddle and pinch his brother’s ribs with trembly hands.

“Neither do I. In fact, I can't imagine what anyone would do without them. They just seem to make everyone's lives complete.” She smiled fondly before giggling softly — one could argue sheepishly — and her cheeks turned the lightest tint of pink. “Especially dear Sans....”

\----

"ggghh-eeheeee—~! eheee~! ahaa! ahahaa! nn-nahat thaaahaat! eeheheee! pl-plehease...~! pleaheaseplease!" Sans slumped fully against Papyrus, hands sliding down from his neck in submission, fingers curling up tightly.

Glancing up at Toriel, Frisk softly grinned. "You talked to him a lot before you even saw him, right?"

\----

“You are just not good at tickle fights, are you, brother?” Papyrus snickered as he stopped tickling.

“Yes, we've talked many times before when I was still in the Ruins. I was very lonely in there, but he kept me good company. I still remember the first joke he ever told me. He's such a sweet, caring skeleton....” She smiled as she glanced over at Sans, her eyes sparkling dreamily.

\----

Sans took shallow, hungry breaths, resting against Papyrus heavily. "ahaaa.... oh gosh ... i d-dunno how you do it. i guess i'm just too sensitive.... ghheh...." He was vaguely aware that the others were chatting, but wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. The heaviness from his SOUL had lifted however.

Frisk smiled. "Have you ever told him that?"

\----

“Well, that, and you were tickling my neck, which isn't too effective. If you got my hips, however, you may have had a bit more of a fighting chance, nyeheh.”

“Oh? Well, of course I've told him how kind he is. What makes you bring up such a question, my child?”

\----

"heheh.... well, if you insist." Sans grinned, gently grasping his brother's hips and squeezing.

The human giggled. "Oh, I just think that's the sort of thing he'd appreciate hearing from you."

\----

Papyrus gasped loudly and tried to squirm away, laughing up a storm. “N-NOHOHOHO! SANS, I DIDN'T MEAN DO IT NOHOW! NYAAAHAAHAHA!”

“I suppose you're right.... But....” She lightly giggled, but it wasn’t a happy giggle. “Well.... The thing is ... I don't know if he'll appreciate it as much as I intend for him to.... I mean, there are so many great monsters out there just waiting for a sweet, funny, laid-back guy like him to waltz into their lives. Whereas, I'm nothing but an old goat who lived in the Ruins all by her lonesome, trying and failing to save any child who fell into the Underground.... Asgore didn't love me enough to not kill those poor children. What are the chances he will truly love me, either?...” Her eyes became glossy with tears.

\----

"hehehe, i gotcha nowww~" he cooed, chasing his fingers after him and softly scratching along the tops of the hip-bones. "maybe i'm pretty ticklish, but so're you, little bro! tickle tickle tiiiickle!"

Frowning, Frisk leaned against Toriel, hugging as much as her little arms could encompass. "How could anyone not love you? You're such a great mom! I don't think anyone blames you for what happened." Nuzzling against her, she continued, "Maybe you should ask Sans on a date? I went on a lot of dates and everyone had so much fun and we're all closer than ever!" She shrugged hopefully.

\----

“AHAHAAA _AAAA_! SAHAAANS! I WILL HAHAVE MY REVEEENGE! NYAHAAHAHAA!” He slammed his feet against the ground as he struggled to push Sans' hands away.

Toriel stiffened and her eyes widened, cheeks flushing bright pink. “Wh-What?! A date? W-Well ... I-I suppose it is worth a try. If he even wants to go on one with me at all. He doesn't tend to like to speak around me. What if he's secretly disgusted in me?...”

\----

Sans snickered, skittering his fingertips up Papyrus's spine. "the revenge dance never ends ... i might just be okay with that...." He chuckled a bit nervously, raking his fingers back down.

Taking the opposite energy, Frisk balled her hands into fists, brandishing them in determination. "What if he's trying to be cool around you? He gets all nervous around you sometimes right? What if he thinks you think the same thing about him? You've got to at least try!"

\----

Papyrus squealed and flailed around, slamming his fists on the ground and kicking out his legs, shrieking in hysteria.

“I ... I never thought about that. Well.... Okay, I'll try.” Standing up and taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, she walked over to the skeletons. “I know you two are busy, but.... May I talk to you in the other room, Sans?”

\----

"hehehe! kitchy kitchy coo...! o-oh, h-huh?" Sans stopped, giving his brother's spine a soothing pat before withdrawing and looking up at the boss monster. "oh, sure, tori, of course." He glanced back at Papyrus with a grin that said 'I'm-not-done-with-you-yet', pushing himself to a stand and walking out into the hall.

Frisk watched on with an encouraging smile and a thumbs up.

\----

Panting heavily, Papyrus fell limp on the floor. “Ohhhhh....”

Toriel walked out into the hall and closed the door a bit to keep Papyrus and Frisk from eavesdropping. “Well.... Oh, dear, how do I put this?...” She looked pretty much everywhere but at Sans as she shuffled her feet around, her cheeks glowing pink.

\----

Sans looked at her a bit searchingly, and concerned. "hey ... is everything okay? y'know you can talk to me about anything, right? we don't need a door between the two of us for that, heh."

\----

She giggled a bit sheepishly. “Yes, I know. I apologize, I’m just a little nervous. Phew, okay....” She took one last deep breath and looked Sans in the eyes, her cheeks bright pink. “Sans? Would.... Would you like to ... go out sometime? ...On a date perhaps?”


	14. Love is in the Air ... Or is that Smoke?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Frisk  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Toriel

Now it was Sans's turn to be nervous. He stiffened as his SOUL was suddenly slammed with a burning, white hot _writhing_ force, his knees slightly weakening, and he rocked back on his heels.

Toriel wanted to go on a date with him? ... _Him!?_ Small, pathetic, can-die-in-one-hit Sans the skeleton? Yeah, he had a silly crush on this beautiful, funny, powerful monster, but what did he even have to offer her besides a few dumb jokes?

She was former royalty — still looked at as such in the eyes of many. And how could he even compete with the likes of the King? Maybe Asgore had messed up and hurt her deeply, but he was still a warm, powerful guy, who had a loving relationship with her at some point and Sans still held a great deal of respect for him. When he found out exactly who Toriel was, Sans had never been more ashamed of his feelings for her in his life. How could he have ever imagined himself worthy of her?

Oh gosh, no, he couldn't let himself _cry_ at her question, he was already wretched enough with his cheeks on fire with blue. Trembling heavily, he forced himself to look her in the eyes — his own swimming — and quietly choked, "...i-i'd like that...."

\----

Toriel’s eyes widened a little in surprise, mouth gaping a bit. “You would?! I-I mean.... You would?” She calmed herself down, trying not to scare him off with her excitement. She had honestly been taken aback by his response, not having actually expected him to agree at all, let alone so quickly.

Having overheard the conversation outside, Papyrus didn't know whether to be ecstatic that his brother was finally given the chance to spend the rest of his life with someone, or horrified that the one monster he chose loved to torment him with puns as well. At long last, he settled with ecstatic, and he grinned rightly as he scooped up Frisk. “Oh, isn't this just wonderful, tiny sister? My brother, on a date, with a girl! How adorable and wonderful!”

\----

Sans buried his face in his hands as tears escaped. _Pathetic_. How could she even still consider him after this display? He nodded, swallowing down a sob. "...i'd like to very m-much. i ... i l-like you, t-tori."

Frisk giggled as the tall skeleton picked her up, hugging herself against him. "I think Mom's happy too, she seems to like Sans a lot."

\----

“I ... I like you a lot, too, Sans....” She hesitated for a while, mentally battling with herself over a rather intimate decision. Finally, she decided to take the chance. Quickly picking Sans up, she kissed him on the mouth, her cheeks so pink they were about red.

\----

 _Oh, geeze...!_ Hearing those words from her made his trembling increase. Was this actually real? Had she actually said that? Had he collapsed and hit his head on the way out the door and now he was stuck in some fever drea—!? Sans squeaked in shock as her muzzle pressed against his mouth and he didn't think his SOUL could feel so blissfully, burningly weak.

He couldn't kiss her back in the same way. _Another mark against him_. He slowly slackened from the tenseness of the surprise, trying to figure out how to best respond to her affection. Draping quivering arms over her shoulders, he closed his eyes, tears sliding freely down his blushing cheeks, pressing into her gently with a soft vocal sigh. Hesitantly, he lifted one hand, brushing past her ear to gently cup her cheek, stroking her fur with a thumb.

\----

Toriel’s tightly-shut eyes relaxed into a natural close, and she smiled through the kiss, her eyes beginning to water a bit as well. After a while, she gently broke the kiss and smiled down at Sans. The tears finally began to fall. “Never mind what I just said. I don't just like you. I.... I _love_ you.”

\----

His first real kiss like this and he'd shamefully cried through the whole thing and—...! Oh no...! Now she was crying too! Was he bad? _Yes_. Was she disappointed? _Probably_. But that smile...! Oh, _geeze_ , that smile....

And again, he was completely caught off guard and he froze; his world came to a crashing standstill at her declaration and his SOUL _throbbed_ so intensely that he choked on a whimper. He was so very glad he'd chosen a thicker shirt today, because he was sure it was trying to glow at her in response.

"...ahaaa ... geeze tori...—!" Hugging arms gently around her neck, he leaned back to look at her. "i f-feel like i've loved you from afar for aw-while now ... b-but m-maybe we should go on that d-date first before ya decide ya like me _that_ much, heh...."

\----

She giggled softly and gently nuzzled his cheek affectionately with her muzzle. “Oh, Sans. I already know I like you that much. You're a very sweet, kind, and chivalrous little skeleton, and you're also responsible; don't think I forgot about that promise you made to me to keep Frisk safe. Not to mention you're absolutely adorable!” She pecked his forehead with another giggle.

\----

Sans was already blushing so much, it would be unnoticeable if he did any more at the compliments, and he glanced down humbly, shyly leaning into her nuzzling.

Chuckling at the smooch, he looked back at her with an adoring smile. "that's sweet of you, tori. though you're always so sweet ... and caring — not just for the well being of monsters but for everyone. i ... i don't take promises lightly, i never liked making them, but i know how much the kiddo means to ya, so of course i was gonna do my best, and then she ended up growin' on me too, heh." His pupils shimmered slightly. "ever since i met you, i've always felt so close ... so connected to you. talking and joking with you was the highlight of my days down there, besides spending time with papyrus. i ... think he caught on that i was enamored with you pretty quick, heh."

He leaned up against her neck, closing his eyes. "i don't have much to offer ya, tori, but i want to at least try to make you happy."

\----

“Awww....” Toriel rested her chin on his head and hugged him close. “Well, there are plenty of things you can offer me, so don't doubt yourself. You kept me company as well; if it weren't for you, not only would I be bored out of my mind, but Frisk may not have survived underground. One could argue you're to be thanked as much as Frisk for freeing the monsters. You're like a guardian angel.”

\----

Her embrace was so soft and comfortable, and Sans felt so safe, like he never wanted to leave her arms. He couldn't tell her that Frisk would have survived just fine without him. If anything ... if things had taken a different turn ... well, Sans would have still kept his promise, he knew, because there wasn't anything he could have done against determination. He wondered if there ever could have been a point where he could be driven to go against Toriel's wishes. "th-thanks, tori, i did my best. and i'm glad i could keep ya entertained." Nuzzling her, he shyly glanced up. "s-so ... what would you like to do for a date...?"

\----

“How about we go to Grillby's new restaurant once it opens? At least for the official date. Until then, would you like to take a trip to the park with me?”

\----

"that sounds really nice — to both, heh." Sans smiled softly.

Also peeking through the crack in the doorway along with Papyrus, Frisk grinned up at the tall skeleton with a quiet giggle, whispering, "Hehe, ohh, maybe you'll get to cook their date dinner."

\----

“Would you like to go now?” Toriel asked. “I'm sure Frisk and Papyrus can entertain themselves for a few hours.”

Papyrus gasped and grinned brightly. “Maybe! Perhaps I should make them dinner tonight, too! And you can help me! OH, I KNOW! While they're both gone at the park we can set up a magnificent makeshift date here at home for them to enjoy! We'll need decorations and lots of food, and some music and candles and low lighting and all the other stuff listed in the Official Dating Rulebook!”

\----

"i'd love to!" he replied with arched eyes, then chuckled a bit sheepishly, lightly curling his toes. "oh, uh, better find my shoes first though."

Nodding vigorously with a grin, Frisk matched Papyrus’s energy, slightly bouncing in excitement. "This will be so much fun!"

\----

“No, I think you look much cuter without them. Plus it's easier to play with your cute little toes without them.” Toriel giggled as she playfully tickled his toes lightly.

“Let's get started as soon as they leave! We'll make the best makeshift date ever!”

\----

Sans squeaked, burying his face against her and giggling, legs lightly kicking. Oh gosh.... He knew that she knew she was teasing him ... but she couldn't know how much she was _teasing_ him. It was unbearable in both regards. "eeheee—~! oh gahaash, noho...! eheehahahaa! ahahaaa! aha, toriiiihehehee!"

"Yeah, it's gonna be great! Especially since the Great Papyrus will be involved, hehe." Frisk held up a hand for a high-five to seal their partnership.

\----

“Okay, okay, I'm sorry.” She placed Sans down. “Go on and get your shoes. We'll leave when you're ready. Meet me downstairs.” Turning to head for the staircase, she shot Sans one final smile before descending.

Papyrus high-fived Frisk with an euphoric grin. “As well as the tiny human who practically flirted her way through the Underground!”

\----

Sans pushed his way back into his room in a bit of a haze, but he still noticed the human and his brother's close proximity to the door. Deciding to go with sneakers instead of his slippers, he pulled them on, then bent down to tie them for once. "all right, you little eavesdroppers," he shot the pair of them a look that meant business, though it was a bit undermined by his blushing, "you two behave yourselves while we're out, okay?"

Frisk giggled wildly, but she nodded.

\----

“You needn't worry about a thing, brother! Frisk and I shall stay home and work on a few projects together!” He failed to wink subtly at Frisk, unable to hold back his own giggles.

\----

"uh-huh," he huffed, but with a small affectionate grin. "all right, we'll be back later." He waved and made his way downstairs, looking up at Toriel happily. "all right, i'm set." He opened the front door, holding it for her.

\----

“Why, thank you, you chivalrous skeleton.” With a smile, she walked out the door.

Papyrus rushed to the corner and peeked out from behind it, waiting for the two to leave.

\----

Following her out, Sans locked up the door, then quickly caught up to Toriel's side. The day hadn't faltered in its beauty, the sky looking so infinite above them in it's unrivaled blue splendor. It was a little breezy, but Sans found the feeling of the air blowing between his bones rather pleasant — though if his rib-cage were to be exposed to it, there _might_ be a problem. Several other monsters were out and about too, enjoying the sunny weather as well.

Once the two other monsters left the house, Frisk turned to Papyrus and let out a cheer. "Hehehe! What should we do first?"

\----

“Oh, what a beautiful day! This is the absolute perfect weather for a walk in the park! Come along, Sans.” Smiling and blushing lightly as she held his hand, Toriel began to walk towards the park.

“I say that first we pick out the perfect recipe for the perfect couple! Dare I say it ... but we shouldn't make them spaghetti. They've had my spaghetti too many times for it to be this special. What do you suggest, Frisk?”

\----

Sans couldn't quite match her stride, but he compensated by quickening his pace a little bit. Clutching her hand with a blush, he suddenly became acutely aware of their difference in height. Not that it wasn't obvious, but the way her hand hung down to meet his made him feel like a child beside her. And maybe he was, comparatively, if he thought about it. Boss monsters naturally lived longer than most others. He didn't know exactly how old Toriel was, but he was certain he was many times over her junior. It made him a bit anxious to think about, so he didn't dwell on it.

"heheh, yeah, it's still a little bit of a shock to step outside and see all this." He gave a vague gesture, sighing appreciatively. As they walked, the houses transitioned to trees and flowers, the sidewalk and pavement to a lightly twisting pathway and manicured grass. "what's your favorite part of nature so far here, tori?" he asked curiously.

Frisk put a hand to her chin, trying to remember the leftovers her human mother had sometimes reheated for her after her parents had dinner dates. It always was a little too fancy for her tastes, but grown-ups seemed to like fancy. She just wasn't sure about these sorts of things. "Hmm. Well, I know it's still pasta, but maybe we could try macaroni? I think Sans might like a laid back dish like that, hehe. And we could put some vegetables in it like carrots and peas to make it healthy so Mom will be happy? Plus, you can eat it hot or cold depending on what the weather's like when they get back."

\----

“Hmm, my favorite part of nature....” Toriel echoed the question, glancing up at the sky, taking a few minutes to think about her answer. Then she smiled. “I love how it changes. Back in the Underground, the weather would always stay the same in the place you lived. Snowdin would always be cold, Hotland would be hot, and Waterfall would be humid. But up here, everything can change from beautiful summers with gentle breezes and greenery to lovely winters with soft snow. There's also rain up here, which never ceases to fascinate me. It’s much different from the ‘raining’ in Waterfall. Rain falls down everywhere endlessly, from light showers to heavy rainfall. It’s very soothing to watch and listen to, especially while reading.”

“Wowie! That's such a good idea! Okay, Master Chef Papyrus shall prepare the dish! Meanwhile, you can start setting the table!”

\----

Sans softly smiled, then suddenly was struck by the realization that Toriel had lived up here before. Before the war, before everyone was forced Underground. And she would have missed all these things, living in the static Underground for all those years. A profound sadness settled inside him. He still had a faint paranoia that all of this would vanish and be ripped away from him. The Underground was a place concentrated with deep magic at the point, and if anything were to set it off.... It would only be a small comfort that he wouldn't be able to remember. But Toriel had lived through the exiling of monsterkind. She would have remembered everything she missed. At least now she could enjoy it once again. He squeezed her hand tightly.

"i remember when frisk stayed at our house one night, she told me and pap how things were always changing up here. it was hard to imagine, but seeing it is so amazing. and i haven't even really experienced the extremes of it yet, heh."

With a grin and a salute, Frisk grabbed a step-stool so she could reach the cabinets with the prettier plates and dishes.

\----

“Oh, you most certainly haven't! I remember many years back one of my human friends showed me something one night, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen: the night sky had little white streaks flying through it, and she told me they were meteors, or what some others call shooting stars. These meteor showers happen every few years, and it's said that if you make a wish on one of the shooting stars, it will come true. I hope to see the meteor shower again someday with you, Sans. I know how much astronomy fascinates you. I just know you'd love it!”

Papyrus fished a pot out from underneath the sink — which was much shorter than the tall cupboard on the other side of the kitchen that held all his special attacks — and filled it with water before putting it on a stove eye and turning on the heat.

\----

Sans's eyes slightly widened and his pupils faintly sparkled at her description. He'd stayed up late every night since they'd settled on the Surface to look at the stars and it left him in awe and wonder each time. "i ... i'd really like to see that with you too, tori." He swallowed a bit thickly with emotion. "astronomy was always my favorite thing to read about. i always got so excited whenever we found a magazine with an article on space. pap liked the ones with cars, heheh. hmm, maybe if i can get a couple of those jobs, i can save up to get him one."

Finding some snail-themed placemats and cloth napkins, Frisk laid them out carefully on the table across from each other, setting a plate, glass, and fork down at each spot. Nodding in satisfaction she looked at Papyrus. "Do you know where the candles and stuff are?"

\----

“Aww, that's so sweet of you, Sans,” Toriel said with a wide smile. It truly did warm her heart a great deal seeing how much Sans cared for his younger brother. “Oh, that actually reminds me. I, well.... I hope you don't mind that I bought you a few gifts. I was waiting for a good time to give them to you, so perhaps I can give them to you once we return home. I'm sure you'll love them!”

“I will take care of the candles, I don't need you accidentally burning yourself. Why don't you find a suitable music for the dinner instead?” The water came to a boil, and Papyrus added the cavatappi pasta before he began sautéing vegetables in a separate pan while simultaneously tending to a roux for a white cheesy bechamel sauce in a pot.

\----

Sans blinked in surprise. "you did...? oh, wow, tori, you didn't have to get me anything...." He bashfully gave the ground a light kick. He wondered what she might have gotten for him. Chuckling, he looked up. "well, i don't mind, but now i'm all curious, heheh!"

Frisk giggled. "O-kayyy." Running off to the small collection of CDs they had stockpiled, she fed them into the player one-by-one, trying to find something quiet but nice.

\----

“Perhaps I'll give you a clue.... That is, if you really want it.” Toriel giggled playfully.

Papyrus drained out the pasta once it had reached al dente and added the vegetables to it, then poured in the cheese sauce and mixed it all together, being careful not to spill the pot’s contents. “Dinner is almost ready!”

\----

Sans grinned, slightly tilting his head. "heheh, well sure, if you wanna give me a hint."

"I'm starting to smell it," Frisk called back. "You're gonna save some for us, too, right?" she asked hopefully.

\----

“Oh, but are you _sure_ you wanna hear it?” The boss monster gave a small laugh, her eyes arching. “Oh, I'll just tell you anyway, I'm too excited not to! The nature of the gifts relate with something you love.”

“But of course! Why wouldn't I? I'm just as eager as you are to try this!”

\----

"oh, is it more time with you? 'cause i honestly don't think i can get enough of that," he teased playfully, squeezing her hand.

"Hehehe, my stomach just wanted me to ask!" Frisk replied, giggling.

\----

“Oh, hush, you silly thing!” Laughing, Toriel rolled her eyes. “But no, it's not that. Besides, you can have as much time with me as you so wish.”

“Well, we could try some now if you'd like,” Papyrus grinned eagerly. “Right after I’ve seasoned it. You can be my taste tester!”

\----

"oh good, it'd be kinda hard to date you if i couldn't." He chuckled a bit harder, caught up in his silly mood. Calming down, he fondly brushed his skull up against her arm, glancing up. "no, but, it's really nice to just be in your company, tori." He had been in this same park this morning, but just having Toriel there made all the difference in the world.

Setting down the CD case that belonged to the currently playing tune, Frisk eagerly hopped up and ran back to the kitchen and dining area. "Yes, please!" She bounced on her toes.

\----

“Aww, you're so incredibly sweet, Sans. I feel so lucky to have you as, well ... as my boyfriend.” She bent down to his level and kissed him on the forehead with a giggle.

After sprinkling and stirring in some salt, pepper, and garlic powder, Papyrus scooped up a forkful of the cavatappi and handed it to Frisk. “It may still be hot, so be careful.”

\----

Sans swore his SOUL did a somersault. Slightly raising his shoulders, he chuckled with tinged cheeks, leaning and gently nuzzling against her. "i ... i think i'm the lucky one," he said softly.

Carefully taking the fork Papyrus offered her, Frisk softly blew on it before slurping up a few of the noodles. As she chewed, her eyes lit up and she swallowed. "Wow, Papyrus, I think this is your best dish yet. Mom and Sans are really gonna love it!"

\----

Toriel giggled and nuzzled him back. “Let's just say we're both lucky to have each other.”

“How wonderful! Well, perhaps I should store this away and warm it back up once they return.” Papyrus blinked. “When will they return?”

\----

"works for me," Sans said a bit breathlessly, mesmerized by the sound of her giggles so close, and by her impossibly soft touch. He raised himself up a bit higher on his toes to gently tap his teeth against her cheek, his equivalent of a small kiss.

"I guess they never said when. Maybe they're having lots of fun?" Frisk shrugged.

\----

She lightly gasped, her cheeks flushing pink, and she giggled. “Awww, your little skeleton kisses are adorable!”

“That or the two are doing mushy-gushy dating stuff like kissing. Blech!”

\----

Withdrawing with a blush of his own, Sans chuckled with arched eyes, glad she hadn't found it weird. He didn't think he could imagine what having lips would be like, but when Toriel had kissed him, it felt very nice. He hoped he could make her feel nice too. "you wanna keep going, or you wanna make sure those two haven't burned the house down by now?"

"Wait ... people kiss on dates?" Frisk wrinkled her nose. Very suddenly, a whole lot of things made a whole lot more sense.

\----

“Well.... Perhaps I should give them a call just in case.” She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Frisk's number.

The tall skeleton shrugged. “Well, that's what I learned on the Internet anyway.”

\----

Frisk looked down, slightly startled, then pulled her phone from her pocket, seeing that it was Toriel. Pushing the answer button, she held the phone up to her ear and blurted in devastation, "Oh my gosh, Mom, I'm so sorry I asked you out on a date that one time, you must think I'm really weird!"

\----

Not expecting the outburst, Toriel yelped and pulled the phone away from her ear. Once Frisk calmed down, she placed it back up next to her head. “I-I'm sorry? Where on earth did this come from, my child? I don't think it was weird; if anything, I thought it was rather cute.” She gave a soft hum of a giggle. “Anyhow, I was just looking to check on you and Papyrus. You're both staying out of trouble, yes?”

\----

"N-Nevermind...," she said more calmly, then glanced at Papyrus. "We're doing fine. Actually we were just wondering when you were going to be back?"

\----

“Hmm.... We haven't decided yet. We'll let you know when we are ready to head home, okay? Why do you ask? You're not doing anything naughty, are y—”

The smoke detector went off, and Papyrus yelped in alarm. He turned sharply to see his dish was still left on the burner at high, and smoke was rising from the burning contents of the pot. “OH, NO!”

Toriel’s eyes widened. “What is that? Is that the smoke detector?!”

\----

"Um, no! No!" Frisk started in a high panicked pitch. "You should spend some more time having fun and doing mushy kissing things, see you later, love you, bye!" She hit the end call button, looking frantically at Papyrus. "I don't think they're gonna stay out for long now...!"

Sans looked up, perplexed. "wait, are they actually burning the house down!?"

\----

“I-I don't know, she hung up,” Toriel fretted, quickly pocketing her phone. “Sans, I'm very sorry, but we may have to put this walk on hold. I must make sure Frisk, Papyrus, and our house are all okay!”

“DRAT!” Taking the food off the burner, Papyrus grabbed a dish towel and used it to fan away the smoke from the detector. “Oh, no! The park is only five minutes away from here! Frisk, you must go and distract them for as long as you can while I make another batch! We mustn't miss this opportunity in helping my beloved brother and your mother find true love with each other!”

\----

"yeah, of course, tori! i'm a bit worried too...." Part of him wanted to teleport over, but he didn't want to leave Toriel behind. Turning solidly around, he started up a brisk pace. "let's go!"

"On it!" Frisk darted off, running out the front door and down the sidewalk as she hurried to intercept the two.

\----

“Okay!” She started to race back home with Sans.

“Oh, man.... Hopefully she'll be able to keep the two at bay long enough....” He scraped the burnt pasta in the trash before boiling another pot of water.

\----

Frisk caught up to them at the park's entrance, then bent over to pant after running so hard.

"you okay, kiddo? what's goin' on?" Sans asked in concern.

She raised a finger until her breath came back. "N ... nothing's wrong. I just ... remembered something I wanted to show you guys ... in the park...."

\----

“B-But the house! I heard the alarm go off!” Toriel glared down at the child, placing her hands on her hips seriously. “Did you come in an attempt to distract us while Papyrus fixed whatever you've done to the house, Frisk? Tell the truth.”

\----

"Uhhh, um, that wasn't an alarm...? That was just a ... uh...." After another moment's hesitation, she collapsed to the ground, holding onto her shoe dramatically. "Ow...! Ow-ow ... I think I got a splinter...!"

Sans didn't look too impressed, but he did admire her determined commitment.

\----

“A splinter?” Toriel quickly knelt down so she could pick Frisk up. “We must get you home right away so we can take it out. Come along, Sans.”

\----

"Nonono! Wait! It ... it hurts too much! Owch! You gotta take it out now!" She struggled a bit, kicking until she managed to throw off her shoe as far away in the opposite direction as she could. "Oh no! My shoe!"

\----

Now Toriel, too, was beginning to detect something amiss, and it certainly wasn’t the fact that Frisk supposedly had a splinter. “Okay, then.... Sans, you go on ahead and make sure Papyrus and the house are fine.” She sat Frisk down on the ground and removed her sock.

\----

"No! No! Sans! I need you! For ... moral support!"

Sans couldn't take it anymore. "pfffft—! kihid...! it's okahay, tori, i'm prettyyyyy sure the house and pap are fine. i think my fingers might be suited for pulling out splinters anyway." He crouched down beside them, prodding at Frisk's exposed sole. "is it here, huh?"

Frisk burst into giggles, shaking her foot. "Ahaha! No, wait...!"

"heheh ... hold her steady, tori, i think i know how to get to the bottom of this."

\----

Smiling with a soft giggle, picking up what Sans was putting down, Toriel held Frisk's foot perfectly still by the ankle in one foot, wrapping her other arm around her torso to keep her from reaching out to bat the skeleton’s hands away. “See if you can try to find it, Sans. You may have to search the entire foot, toes included.”

\----

"Nohoo, it's not in my toes!" she nearly shrieked, eyes wide in anticipation.

Sans stuck an arm out in a half-shrug. "better make sure kiddo, just in case." Grinning, he prodded and poked at her heel, slowly and methodically working his way up. "izzit here? oh, is this it, huh? no? oh, i was sure that was somethin', heheh."

Frisk flailed and squealed in the boss monster's grasp, but couldn't move her foot at all besides her toes.

Prying said toes apart, Sans gingerly searched and poked between each one. "hmm, i can't seem to find it. guess i'll hafta double check."

"Aaaa~hahaa, no! No! Hehehe~haaha!"

"well, maybe if there wasn't a splinter, i wouldn't hafta double check, hmmm...?"

"Hmmmnnn...!" Frisk whined, shaking her head.

"all right, I'll look again." He started at the heel.

"Eeee~hahaaaaa! Noho! Ahahaaa! Sahans!"

It got to 'quadruple-checking' before Frisk gave in, face flushed and hair a mess from her squirming. "Okahahay! There's noho splihihinter! Ahaaaha!"

Sans dropped his hand with a satisfied smile. "now we're getting somewhere. so let me guess. you and pap were cookin' up somethin' special for tori and me and somehow it got away with ya, and now you're buyin' time for pap to remake it, right?"

Frisk stared, then pouted. "You knew that and you still put me through that?"

"hey! i was givin' you the chance to tell the truth. and maybe buyin' pap a little time, too." He grinned. "and it was just a guess by the way. thanks for confirmin' that."

Frisk stuck her tongue out at him.

\----

“Oh, my child.” Toriel drew her paws up to her chest, touched by the kind gesture. “You and Papyrus both. You both are so incredibly sweet, thank you. This means so much to the both of us.” Smiling, she hugged Frisk close. “But if you'd like, we can still act surprised when we get home. You can do that, right, Sans?”

\----

"We just wanted you guys to have a nice day." Frisk hugged back with a small smile. "I'm sorry about lying...."

"sure, i could," Sans replied with a grin, retrieving Frisk's shoe, hanging it by the heel with one finger. "but then that means he doesn't get punished for his part in worryin' us by trying to cover this up." He chuckled. "ah, well, i don't really need a reason to tease him."

\----

Toriel nuzzled Frisk's cheek playfully before placing her back down. “Come along, my silly child.”

It was at that point that Frisk's cell phone began to ring.

\----

Sliding her sock back on, Frisk made to take her shoe back from Sans, but he playfully pulled it just out of reach. Giggling and chasing after it, Frisk split her attention as her cell rang, answering and holding it up to her ear as Sans continued to string her along. "Hello?"

\----

On the other end of the line, Papyrus spoke, “Hello, tiny sister! It is the Great Papyrus! I have excellent news: I have completely remade the din— er, uh ... _project_ — (audible wink) — so it's okay to bring Toriel and Sans back home! Be back soon! NYEH HEH HEH!” After his trademark victorious laugh, he hung up.

\----

Frisk put her phone back with a giggling sigh. "Papyrus is finished, so we can go back now."

Sans let the human snatch her shoe back. "sounds good." He reached for Toriel's hand again. "might as well finish our walk together, right?" He softly blushed.

\----

“That's perfectly fine with me, Sansy-Pansy.” Toriel laughed softly and took his hand, blushing a bit herself, taking Frisk’s hand in her other. The three then proceeded to make their way home together.

\----

Sans blushed more heavily at the nickname. He could just imagine his brother's face if Papyrus heard her calling him that.


	15. Dating Start!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Frisk  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Toriel

Once they reached the house, Frisk opened the door for them, smiling and gesturing for them to go in.

\----

Upon walking in, the three saw the kitchen table placed in the living room draped with a large white cloth, and smaller cloths covered two chairs, which were positioned at each end of the table. Slow romance music played softly from the CD player, and the room was dimmed save for a few flickering candles in the center of the table surrounding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. There were also neatly polished and arranged napkins, silverware, glasses, and decorative bowls, and in the center next to the bouquet resting on a heating pad was a fancy large bowl containing what looked and smelled to be one of Papyrus' best pasta dishes yet.

Toriel gasped and raised a paw up to her gaping mouth in awe. “Oh, my stars! This looks absolutely beautiful!”

\----

Sans didn't even really have to pretend to be surprised, not having expected the house to be set with such a romantic atmosphere. Only the faintest tinge of smokiness was still lingering in the air, but it was vastly overpowered by the mouth-watering aroma of the pasta. Eyes slowly adjusting to the lighting, he took a closer look at the table. "woah, looks like you guys really went all out...!" He grinned. "guess that makes me glad we'll be dining-in, heh."

\----

Papyrus scooped up Sans from behind — where he was originally hiding, no one was sure — and spun him around, laughing happily. “NYAH HAH HAH! Welcome home, lovebirds!” He placed him down next to Toriel and grinned ecstatically, bouncing excitedly on his toes. “Oh, Frisk and I are super excited for you two! I made the dinner, which was Frisk's idea, and she set up the dinner table and song as I set up the rest! Only the best for my brother and his girlfriend! Or the former queen and her boyfriend, whichever you wanna look it as.”

“My goodness, you two! This is absolutely wonderful, thank you so much!” Toriel beamed. “Papyrus, the food smells divine. What is it?”

“It was all Frisk's genius thinking! I have prepared cavatappi pasta mixed in a gouda cheese bechamel sauce with peas and diced carrots! Deliciously healthy for you, Lady Toriel, yet casual for Sans!”

\----

Frisk nodded eagerly in agreement.

"woa-hoh!" Sans smiled at Papyrus, a bit dizzily and a little embarrassed, but mostly touched as his brother went on. "geeze, you guys, this is all too much, heh. but it's great — all of it! thank you! and, wow, i can't wait to try this!" He expressed with arched eyes, then shyly glanced at Toriel. "i-i'm really excited too...."

\----

“Well, Frisk and I shall eat up in my room and do a few puzzles together as you two enjoy your date! Come along, Frisk, I've already brought up our food! Have fun, you two!” After giving the pair of monsters a farewell wave, Papyrus trotted up to his room.

Toriel giggled and waved to them as they left. “Good-bye, Papyrus and Frisk. Thank you again for this wonderful dinner.”

\----

Frisk bounced excitedly and hurried to Papyrus's side, turning back briefly with a happy wave. "See you later! Enjoy!"

Once the other two had disappeared upstairs, Sans's nerves suddenly overtook him in full force. Being alone with Toriel in this setting made it feel all too real. He really liked her and she really liked him, and they both had confessed it felt like love, and somehow the dim lights and the soft music and the smell of good food teased at all of his senses, which in turn seemed to make her look all the more lovely and unattainable like a dream — except that it wasn't. He glanced down.

"s-so...." Oh, geeze, why was it so hard to say anything now? They had always talked so easily before, so now why couldn't he think? He walked over and pulled out a chair at the table, patting it. "w-would you like a seat?"

\----

Toriel smiled affectionately, quite amused and very touched at his attempts to act chivalrous for her. “Sans, you really are a gentleman. Thank you so much.” She walked over and sat down in the chair, and she glanced over at the prepared dish in the large bowl before her, the cheesy aroma making her mouth water. “My, Papyrus has come such a long way with his cooking since we came to the Surface. You must be so proud of him.”

\----

Taking the seat across from her, he gently pushed the dish of cavatappi toward her so she could get what she wanted first. His brother was an easy topic for him. He started to relax, smiling.

"yeah, i really am. i know he was trying to keep undyne happy by using her methods, but when he takes his own initiative, he seems pretty good about following a recipe. i think that job at grillby's will be really great for him — and for everyone who gets to have a taste, heh."

\----

“I'm so happy for him — and for you, too. I absolutely cannot wait to see your stand up, you always have the funniest of jokes up your sleeves!” She giggled as she took a serving of the pasta before handing the serving bowl over to Sans, then used a spoon to scoop a portion into her mouth. Her face brightened up immediately and she was so astonished she almost forgot not to talk with her mouth full. She swallowed before speaking. “Heavens, this is absolutely delicious! Try it, Sans!”

\----

Grinning, he playfully checked the sleeves of his jacket. "oh. you're right. here they are. heh, my worst ones are always off the _cuff_." Scooping some of the pasta into his own bowl, he followed her lead and her prompting, giving it a try.

Unlike so many of the brutalized spaghetti attempts, the cavatappi had been boiled to a perfect al dente texture, the cheese complimenting the noodles with a light bite of flavor that wasn't overbearing, and the vegetables added just the right amount of variety to keep it interesting. Sans was struck near speechless.

"...this is _pasta-bly_ my new favorite meal."

\----

Toriel snorted and laughed at Sans' puns. “Oh, Sans, those puns were so, dare I say, _cheesy_! Ahaheehe!~”

\----

Sans chuckled with arched eyes, amusement bubbling happily inside him. Peering across at her, he subconsciously leaned forward as if being drawn to her. The sound of her laughter was intoxicating, he loved to observe the joy on her face, especially now that every detail was highlighted by the candles' glow, gosh, just everything she did was adorable and beautiful and—

He jolted, realizing he was staring. Clearing his throat, he pulled himself back, taking more bites and savoring the dinner.

\----

Toriel noticed Sans was staring at her and tilted her head questioningly. “Are you okay, Sans? Do... Do I have something in my teeth? I have something in my teeth, don't I?” Her cheeks tinged pink and she shuffled in embarrassment in her seat, pressing her lips tightly together as she subconsciously drew her tongue over her fangs.

\----

Sans lightly jumped. "h-huh? n-no, tori...! you're fine. i ... i, uh...." He glanced away, setting his spoon in his bowl, cheeks glowing. "sorry, i ... was just admiring you. i really like seeing you happy, ya know?" He chuckled. "heh, i wouldn't care if you had somethin' in your teeth anyway. wouldn't make you any less beautiful...."

\----

Toriel’s blush seemed to slightly increase in color, only this time it was more of a sheepish blush. She smiled and giggled. “Oh, you're so sweet, Sans, thank you. You really know how to compliment a lady.”

\----

He smiled at her shyly and affectionately, taking a sip of water before relaxing back into comfortable humor. "to tell you the _tooth_ , if you ever get anything in your teeth it wouldn't even be a big deal 'cause you've got those pretty lips to hide it. now, if it were me, _then_ there'd be a problem, 'cause ya know, i'm all teeth front and center." He winked, tapping at them with a finger.

\----

“Ahahaaha! I suppose that is true!” She blinked at Sans, and the corners of her mouth began to curve upward in a bit of a smirk. “So ... I suppose that means you'd have a problem now?” Baring her own teeth, she pointed to them in a gesturing motion.

\----

"h-huh? wait, i don't actually have something stuck, do i...?" He tried to glance down at himself.

\----

She covered her mouth as she giggled and snorted. “No, of course not, I was just _ribbing_ you! Ehehee!”

\----

Looking up, he chuckled out a relieved sigh in good humor, then snorted. "heheh! well, ya really t—" He blinked. How had that joke nearly slipped out? Of course, it went so naturally with rib puns, but he'd been rather uncomfortable using it lately. "ya really got me." He smiled.

\----

Toriel smirked playfully. “You were about to say I _tickled_ your funny bone, right?” She put much emphasis into the word to tease him.

\----

"gh—!" He straightened and squirmed in his seat. Oh, _geeeeze_ , the way she said it—! "hh, heheh ... maybe...," he admitted, eyes firmly focused away.

\----

She fell into a little giggle fit. “Oh, Sans, I’m sorry. It's just absolutely adorable, I can't stand it!”

\----

His eyes briefly snapped back to her with an excruciating, writhing pang at his core, and he sank back in his chair, covering his face. "oh, gosssh, i can't stand it either...," he muffledly said, mostly to himself.

\----

“Oh, dear, I'm sorry, I don't mean to embarrass you! I ... I just find your, erm...,” she looked around to make sure Papyrus and Frisk weren’t around, then dropped her voice down to a whisper, “... _tickle fetish_ ... quite adorable. Don't think you can fool me into thinking you don't secretly have one, I've lived a long life and have known a _lot_ of monsters and humans alike. But it's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.”

\----

"...all right," Sans croaked, slowly taking his hands away from his intensely burning face. "i won't insult your intelligence by trying to deny it. just...." He slumped forward and put an elbow on the table, resting his cheek against his knuckles, looking up at her in a defeated sort of way. "...now that you know my weakness, be gentle with me with it...?"

\----

“Sans, you know I would never abuse you, so don't worry. And don't see this as a weakness, but as another opportunity for bonding. Also, if you ever feel eager enough to be tickled, you don't need to be so shy about asking me. It's rather fun to tickle you after all. Your laughter is just so pure and genuine and lovely!” She smiled and giggled. “I hope you know you can trust me with this, and I won't tell a single soul unless you want me to.”

\----

The squirming stress within him started to ebb away, and he gently smiled, pushing himself back up properly in his chair, though still not quite able to look at her for too long at a time. "thanks, tori. i do trust you. i really do. and, i'm glad you can have fun with it too. heh ... and well ... papyrus knows already, so you don't have to worry about it around him." He chuckled nervously. "heheh ... though maybe _i_ do...."

\----

“Oho, dear, I imagine he's relentless when teasing you. You poor thing. Though I suppose I can see why he does it, you are quite adorable when flustered. Oh, sorry. Here I am saying every aspect about you is cute when you probably don't even appreciate the compliment in the first place. It's not common, after all, for boys to want to be called cute. I apologize.”

\----

"oh gosh, just about every chance he can get." Sans rubbed the side of his skull. He could add that he was no better, but since Papyrus had said he liked it the same way, he didn't want to even suggest a hint that would accidentally embarrass his brother.

Lightly blushing, he made a small, dismissive gesture. "nah, ladies call things they like cute all the time. i don't mind it coming from you, heheh."

\----

“Very well, then, sugar skull.” Toriel giggled before finishing the last of her dish. “Oh, that dinner was absolutely delicious! Papyrus is going to be one of — if not _the_ — best chef at Grillby's new restaurant.”

\----

Sans nearly choked at the nickname, acutely reminded of the times Papyrus would tease him with 'role-play'. Geeze, he didn't think he could handle it if Papyrus heard.

Somehow he managed to stay outwardly calm, expression softening. "i may have made a joke, but i wasn't kidding when i said this might be my new favorite. wow, pap is so talented! he's really come a long way." Eyes bright, he grinned, finishing up his own meal as well. "and, i'm really glad i got to share this with you, tori. i'm having a nice time, even if i do get ... a bit flustered, heh."

\----

“I really enjoyed this as well, and you shouldn't worry about being flustered. It's perfectly fine. To be honest, it's been decades since I've last been on a date, so it's like a new experience for me, too. I'm honestly surprised I managed to keep as calm as I did; just ... just looking at your genuinely happy smile and listening to your laughter and clever puns always sends my stomach fluttering and my SOUL pulsing rapidly as if it would beat right out of my chest.” Playing with one of her ears a bit, she smiled sheepishly down at the table.

\----

Gosh, did he really do that to her? "aha, aww, tori ... you really are super adorable, ya know?" he said with a soft grin. He liked the way she fiddled with her ear, he almost wanted to reach out and touch it himself. "heheh, well, i hope maybe you feel a little more at ease. i mean, maybe that's hypocritical of me to say since i've been all nerves all night even though i don't have any." He chuckled. "naw, but i really love everything about you, tori."

\----

“Oh, thank you. And I love everything about you.” After a few moments, Toriel spoke up again. “Sans? I don't know if you'd be willing to do this with me or not, but.... Well, I've just been looking forward to doing a little stargazing in the park, so if you wanted to come along...” She giggled teasingly and shook her head with a dismissive wave of a paw. “No, no, never mind, you wouldn't want to watch beautiful stars with lil' ol' me.”

\----

He laughed cheerfully, then gazed at her with shimmering eyes. "of course, i'd love to go see the stars with you tori. though ... i might have a little trouble keepin' an eye on 'em with someone so gorgeous around," he teased with a wink.

\----

“Oh, Sahahans!” She squeaked and giggled, cheeks turning rosy again, and rather cutely used her ears to hide her face.

\----

Sans couldn't stop smiling — well, that was normal for him anyway — but genuinely, reaching-his-eyes smiling at how utterly adorable she was. "oh gosh, tori, if you don't stop being so cute, i might just fall apart!" he gushed, resting folded arms on the table in a relaxed manner, watching her with his SOUL fluttering.

\----

She giggled and calmed down before her face brightened up. “Oh! That reminds me! Wait right here!” Quickly standing up, she rushed to her room, returning a few moments later with a fairly large box wrapped in blue and purple wrapping paper and tied with a bow. “I almost forgot to give you your gift.”

\----

Looking it over with curious interest, Sans carefully removed the ribbon and laid it on the table, easily cutting through the tape with a bony fingertip and pulling off the paper, laying that aside as well. Sans grinned up at her. "oh, a pretty box! it's everything i've ever wanted!" Chuckling, he shook his head. "naw, sorry, had to do that one. let's see what's inside." He opened it up.

\----

“Oh, you silly little skeleton, hehehee!”

Inside the box were many parts to a telescope, including a manual booklet on how to put it together. Laying on top was a rather large book titled, ‘Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics’, a camera for taking pictures of the stars, an empty scrapbook to put Polaroids in, and a journal to record his findings. And, of course, a bottle of ketchup was found inside as well.

“I really hope you like your gifts, Sans. I told you they had something to do with something you loved. Do you like it?” Toriel asked, smiling hopefully at her date.

\----

Sans delicately lifted and examined each item with trembling hands, sockets starting to well up. She knew him so well, his passions, his habits; everything obviously had thought of him behind it, and he was touched. Not to mention that he absolutely was ecstatic about it all and couldn't wait to use them.

Speechless, he slid from his chair and turned to Toriel, wrapping his arms tightly around her, trying not to cry into her dress.

\----

“Ahahaaaww, you're very welcome, sweetheart.” Toriel knelt down to his level and hugged him back. “I can help you put your telescope together if you'd like, then we can use it to find stars and constellations together.”

\----

Sans nuzzled into her embrace and looked up with a watery smile. "i'd like that very m-much...!" he said, voice thick with emotion. "thank you, tori, this is s-so nice of you."

\----

“Anything for you, sugar skull.” She kissed his forehead and gave his neck a quick playful little nuzzle with her fuzzy nose.

\----

Chuckling under her affection, he quietly squeaked, raising his shoulder. "ehee—! c-careful...," he softly grinned up at her with a bit of a self-deprecating tone, "i'm, ah, a bit ticklish, heh."

\----

“You're ticklish here, too, are you?” Toriel giggled as she continued nuzzling his neck, planting soft, furry kisses as well.

\----

Sans just about crumpled under the assault, giggling squeakily, lightly squirming and wriggling, though, as with the neck nibbling Papyrus had subjected him to, his body was more reluctant to move. "eeehehee~! oho gahahaaash! yeheheah ahehe aham! hehee~hahahaa!" With her proximity, his SOUL was so wonderfully electrified, and it was all so soft and unbearable and he couldn't get enough.

\----

Toriel laughed softly and stopped her gentle assault. “Okay, I'll leave your poor bones alone. ...Unless you'd like for me to continue perhaps?”

\----

In a bit of a daze, Sans blushed heavily as his shoulders lowered to their natural position. "eheh ... w-well, i wouldn't m-mind ... if you wanted to. though, i do want to have enough time to put the telescope together too...."

\----

She smiled affectionately. “How about we finish the telescope? Then we can find time to continue if you still want to. You get started while I let Frisk and Papyrus know we’re heading out.” Giving him one last kiss, on the teeth this time, she began walking up the stairs to Papyrus' room.

\----

"sounds like a plan," Sans agreed happily, cheeks still lightly tinged. After finding the room’s light switch and turning it on, he blew out the candles and returned to the gift-box. Taking each piece of the telescope out, he carefully laid them all on the floor and grabbed the manual, opening to the first set of instructions.

\----

Toriel knocked on Papyrus' door before cracking it open. “Are you two still here?”

Papyrus looked up from a jigsaw puzzle he and Frisk were doing together and grinned, waving to her. “Hello, Lady Toriel! How was your date with Sans?”

The boss monster opened the door all the way and smiled at the two younger members of the house. “It was beautiful and amazing, and dinner was absolutely exquisite. Thank you both so very much.”

“But of course! Only the best shall be provided for my brother and the former queen!”

\----

Frisk smiled. "I'm so glad you had a good time, Mom." She grinned at Papyrus, holding out a hand to him for a high-five for their success.

\----

He returned the high-five with a grin. “NYEH!”

“Anyhow, Sans and I have decided to go stargazing, and we will be leaving in a few minutes, so you two make sure you behave. Frisk, go to bed on time, alright?”

\----

Giggling, Frisk nodded with a compliant, "Okay. Papyrus will make sure that I do, right?"

\----

“Absolutely!” Papyrus announced, placing a hand to his chest. “Frisk shall go to bed on time, not a minute later! Not a second later! Not even a _millisecond_ later!”

Toriel laughed into a hand. “Thank you, Papyrus, I can always count on you. Good night, you two.”

“Good night, Lady Toriel! You and Sans have fun!”

\----

"Night, Mom!" Frisk chimed in, waving, then continued searching through puzzle pieces, trying to fit a few together.

Sans was also carefully fitting and slotting the more intricate equipment together, referring to and double-checking each step.

\----

Toriel gently closed the door behind her and walked back downstairs to kneel down next to Sans. “How's the telescope coming along, dear?”

\----

"well, there haven't been any problems so far," Sans replied, animated with the task. "it's just a matter of making sure the parts go in the right places and screwing them in. see, here's the star diagonal." He picked up a triangular-shaped piece with cylindrical protrusions jutting out at a ninety-degree angle. "and it fits right in the focusing tube like this." Carefully, he slid one of the cylinders of the angled piece into the tube at the viewing end of the telescope, tightening the screw once it was in place. "so, not too hard." Grinning at her brightly, he checked the instructions and pointed to a small, steel tube with a lens attached to one end. "could you hand me that one? it's the eyepiece."

\----

“Is it this piece right here?” It was rather easy to find the piece Sans was looking for with the remaining parts that hadn’t yet been assembled laid out so neatly, and Toriel picked the eyepiece up before holding it over her left eye and peeking through it. “I see you!” She giggled before handing it to Sans. “It works well, ahahaa!”

\----

"hehe!" Smiling widely with arched eyes, he took it as she handed it to him. Gosh, she was cute! "heh, you don't need to tickle me to tickle my funny bone." It seemed a lot easier to say now. "thanks!" Loosening the screw on the star diagonal, he slotted the eyepiece in and re-tightened it. "there, i think it just needs to be mounted to the tripod and we're set."

\----

“Tripod? If memory serves, that's the piece that holds the telescope up on three poles, yes? Dear, I apologize, I don't know too much about these sort of things.” She smiled sheepishly.

\----

"yeah, that's the one," he answered, giving her an encouraging smile, picking the tripod up and starting to spread the poles apart. "and that's all right, heheh." Sliding the telescope in place on the mounting head, he looked at her." here, if you help me out by holding the telescope for me right at this spot, i'll screw it together."

\----

“Of course.” After standing back up, Toriel took the telescope and held it gently in place.

\----

"thanks, tori," he said, leaning against her as he finished up, tilting his skull back to grin up at her. "that's the last of it, it's ready for a test drive, heheh!"

\----

“Marvelous! I can carry it to the park for you if you'd like. If you want to bring the other stuff in the box you're more than happy to.” She carefully lifted up the telescope into her arms with ease.

\----

He chuckled. "i might just bring the whole box!" Finding a pen and a flashlight, he tossed them inside with the other things and hoisted the box up against his ribs — now much lighter without the telescope pieces.

\----

“Let's go, then.” After turning to the door, Toriel called out over her shoulder, “Frisk, Papyrus, We're both going out! Remember to be good, and go to bed on time, Frisk!”

Papyrus opened the door and waved to them from the top of the balcony. “Bye, you two! Have fun!”

\----

Toriel smiled and allowed Sans to step past her before following him out, making sure to lock the door behind them. Together, the couple leisurely made their way towards the park.

\----

"Yes, Mom!" Frisk called, then waited for the sound of the front door closing before she grinned up at Papyrus. "So ... you're not _really_ going to make me go to bed on time down to the last millisecond, are you?"

\----

“Pfft, of course not!” the tall skeleton scoffed playfully. “It wouldn't hurt for you to stay up an hour past your bedtime! It's Friday anyway, you have no school tomorrow! Just ... Don't tell your mom, okay?” He grinned nervously.

\----

Giggling, Frisk shook her head. "I won't tell. What should we do while they're out?"

\----

“Hmmm.... Well, we haven't played Pillow Tickle Fight in a while. In fact, the last time we played was all the way back in Snowdin. Would you like to play that?”

\----

Frisk hopped up, lightly bouncing in excitement. "I've been wanting to play that again, that was so much fun!"

\----

“Alrighty! We shall play Pillow Tickle Fight then!” Papyrus grabbed two pillows off his bed and handed the red one to Frisk, clutching the blue-and-purple velvet one in his own grasp. “But be warned, tiny sister, for the Great Papyrus is still the ultimate tickle master! He will not lose!”

\----

Taking her pillow, Frisk grinned. "Yeah, well, I know your sweet spot," she teased, then proceeded to smack him on the leg and darted onto the bed, standing and facing him, giggling.

\----

Papyrus grinned confidently, raising up his own pillow. “While that may be true, I also happen to know a few of your tickle spots! NYEH!” He batted his pillow against her head.

\----

"Hahah! Aah~!" Giggling under the soft blow, she shifted and held her pillow with both hands by one side so she could swing and whack it against his upper spine and chest. Even on the bed, she couldn't quite reach his face.

\----

“Surrender to me now, human! There is no chance for victory! NYAH!” He started to make soft wild swings, trying to smack her anywhere. What they didn't notice was his pillow was starting to slowly rip at its seams....

\----

"Hehehe! Never!" Frisk was having trouble blocking his hits as she was laughing so much, but she refused to go down just yet.

\----

With one final large swing, Papyrus’ pillow ripped open with an explosion of small white down feathers fluttering and scattering everywhere, a lot of them coating himself and Frisk. His sockets widened in surprise. “...Wowie. I did not expect that to happen.”

\----

Frisk stared wide-eyed for a second before bursting into amused giggles. "Hehehe! ...I think that might count as losing your pillow...."

\----

“Awww, maaaa-ahh.... Ahhh! AAAH- _CHOO_!” He sneezed loudly as a little feather got caught in his nasal cavity, and the sneeze shot it out. The feather gently boop Frisk on the nose before fluttering onto the bed

\----

Frisk squeaked in a bit of surprise, then started to laugh raucously, falling over on the bed and clutching her stomach. "Hahahaa! I haven't seen a skeleton sneeze before! That's so funny!"

\----

Papyrus chuckled a bit. “You'd probably be surprised in knowing all the other stuff skeletons can do then. What we don't have in internal organs we make up for with special magical fragments that function like organs. That's how Sans and I can feel pain and tickling among other things. The only things we can't feel too well are temperatures; thanks to natural selection gradually decreasing temperature sensitivity, skeletons could live pretty much anywhere and everywhere, even places humans couldn’t live in, such as dangerously cold environments.” His bony brows suddenly furrowed, and he rubbed a finger under his jawline, looking very confused. “Huh. I don’t remember Sans teaching me that about skeletons when I was a babybones. Yet somehow I know anyway. How strange.”

\----

Sitting up, Frisk listened in interest. "That's why you were okay in Snowdin, right? 'Cause you weren't bothered by the snow? So then, Hotland wouldn't have bothered you either? Do you have a preference between hot and cold if you can't feel it much?"

\----

Papyrus giggled a bit; now it was his turn to be amused by Frisk's curiosity of skeletal monsters. “No temperature really bothers us. As for preferences.... Well, we can still feel a little bit of temperature, and I find I like the cold a little more. As for Sans, he likes the heat. Why do you think he had stations set up in humid and hot environments like Waterfall and Hotland while I only resided in Snowdin?”

\----

"Hehe, well that's...," she paused, giving Papyrus a very mischievous grin, "so _cool_."

\----

Papyrus’ sockets widened, then he threw his head back and shouted, dramatically falling to his knees and raising up his arms. “ _SAAAAANS_! YOU HAVE CORRUPTED THE HUMAN WITH YOUR SINFUL PUNS! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER?!”

\----

Frisk couldn't stop laughing, rolling and kicking, almost hysterical at Papyrus's reaction. Finally calming down some, she slipped off the bed, still giggling, and latched her arms around him in a hug. "I'm sorry, hehehe!"

\----

Standing back up, Papyrus folded his arms and turned his head away with a playful pout. “Nyeh....”

\----

Frisk grinned, equally playful. "Oh, no, don't be mad, Papyrus! Come on, smile for me!" Giggling, she gently stroked a finger down his backbone.

\----

He let out a startled grunt, but refused to budge, although he began to tremble a bit.

\----

"I guess I've done it now!" Frisk exclaimed dramatically. "Oh, I know, I'll give you lots of apology kisses, hehe." Leaning in, she hugged a small arm solidly around his spine and peppered the spot with smooches.

\----

Quivering a lot more, he shut his sockets tightly closed and gritted his teeth. “N-Nyehhh.... Hnnngh....”

\----

"Oh nooo, the apology kisses aren't working!" She could feel his quivering increasing, and she tried not to laugh as she continued the dramatics. "It's making me so sad! Oh, no! But if I get too sad, I'll—!" She gasped loudly. "Oh, no, it's happening! I'm turning into a skeleton-eater! Rawr, hehe!" She started to nibble at his spine mercilessly.

\----

No matter how hard he could try, he could never resist nibbling, especially on his spine. He squealed, trying to push Frisk away. “NYAAAHAAHAHAHA! NOT THE SKEHELETON-EATER! AHAHAAAA!”

\----

She withdrew at his pushes, giggling and lightly wiping her mouth. "Hehehe! That doesn't count for your pillow penalty, by the way."

\----

“N-Nyehehe....” He giggled in playful nervousness, covering his spine and hips with his arms.

\----

She glanced at his defensive position with a grin, then pounced on his ankles. "Hehe, I guess I'll leave your sweet spots alone for nowwwww~" Plucking a tiny, stray feather leftover from the pillow explosion out of her messy hair, she placed and twirled it between two of his smaller toes. "Can you feel that?"

\----

Papyrus yelped and squirmed around, trying to gently pull his feet away, as his toes curled up. “N-Nyeheehe! It-It’s too sohohoft!”

\----

He'd managed to pull the feather from her fingers, trapping it between his toes and rendering it ineffective. Giggling, she pulled another feather off her sleeve and grasped his foot by the toes, holding it as best she could, gliding the plume up and down his sole.

\----

He began emitting little airy squeaks and giggles as he lightly slapped the ground with a flat palm. “N-Nyeheeheheeee!.... Ahahahaa!... That tihickles!...”

\----

A bit curiously, Frisk let go of his toes, continuing to follow his foot with the feather as she wiggled the fingers of her other hand along his other foot. "Hey, Papyrus, which one's more ticklish for you? Fingers or feathers?"

\----

“EEEHEEHEHE! Y-YOUR FIHINGERS! THEY'RE SO TIHIHICKLY AND SOFT! NYAHAHAAHA!” He curled and wiggled his toes, trying again to pull his feet away, as he wrapped his arms around his torso and thudded his back against the ground, trying to curl in on himself.

\----

Papyrus was very strong, and Frisk had to dig her heels into the floor as he managed to pull his ankles up a bit, almost out from under her. Slowing down her touch, she softly stroked both feet from heels to toes with fingertips.

\----

“HAAHAHAHEHEEEE! Y-YOUR FINGERS ARE DEHEADLY TICKLE TOOLS! NYAAAAHAAHA!” Unable to take anymore, Papyrus managed to pull his feet away from her and he panted as he tucked his legs in underneath himself, keeping them out of her reach.

\----

Giggling, Frisk turned to sit facing him, but didn't pursue him any further. "It's kind of funny, I find your fingers more ticklish than other humans', so it's like we're pretty effective against each other, hehe."

\----

“Nyehehe, that is pretty funny, huh? But do you know whose fingers tickle the worst? Lady Toriel's, hands down.”

\----

Frisk nodded eagerly in agreement. "She's got those claws and really soft fur — ehee!" She lightly shivered. "I think she got us all pretty good in that last fight. I don't know if even all three of us working together could get her back. Hehe ... I did notice her belly was pretty ticklish though."

\----

“Hmmm.... Perhaps we'd have a chance against her if we invited Undyne, but even then I'm not entirely sure if we could overcome her. She must be very endurable against tickling.”

\----

"Maybe...." She raised her shoulders with a laugh. "I guess even if we did manage to get her back, we'd all regret it soon after anyway." Scooting closer to Papyrus, she leaned against him with a small yawn. "I'm sorry about what happened to your pillow. Do you like sleeping with two? You can borrow one of mine if you want?"

\----

“Hmm? Oh, no, that's okay! One of them was Sans' anyway! ...Wait.” Sockets widening, he quickly looked at the torn pillow case, then gulped. “Uh-oh....”

\----

"Oh...." Frisk looked between the pillow and Papyrus and the feathery mess. "It ... wasn't like a special pillow, right?"

\----

“Errr.... I'd be lying if I said it wasn't.... This pillow was given to him by his best friend the day before a human who fell into the Underground ... well ... I-I'm not really sure what happened to her. Sans just told me she went on vacation after that, as did the human the day after she left. A-anyway, this pillow meant the world to Sans as it was the only thing he had left of her! AND I BROKE IT! Oh, Sans is going to be _so_ mad at meheheeee!!” He collapsed to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

\----

Frisk frowned, feeling her heart sink. She quickly hugged Papyrus, patting his back. "I'm sure it'll be okay. Sans might get sad, but I don't think he'd get super mad at you like that. M-maybe we can fix it...?" She peeked at the feathers strewn everywhere and felt a sting of dread.

\----

Still trembling from fear, Papyrus looked up at her. “P-perhaps.... But the stitching on the pillow is all but impossible to replicate! Sans' friend was a spider monster, and she had used her silky webbing for the stitches. He'll notice the difference if we used traditional thread, let alone the stitching style is different. Unless there are any other spider monsters, I'm doomed....”

\----

Frisk suddenly brightened. "Oh, well, I met a spider monster when I was on my way to Asgore in the Underground. Do you know Muffet? Maybe she can help?"

\----

“Muffet? I don't believe I've heard of her.... But if she's a spider monster, she'll definitely be able to help! But.... Where does she live? And what if we're gone before Sans and Toriel come back? Not only would Sans find out I busted his pillow, but Lady Toriel would also know I didn't send you to bed on time! We'd both get into a lot of trouble....”

\----

"Hmmm...." Frisk put her hand to her chin in a bit of distress at the conundrum. "Well, since I'm the ambassador for monsterkind, I've got a directory where all the monsters are living in this district at least, so she shouldn't be too hard to find. Maybe if I stay here, I can clean the mess, and if they get home, I'll jump in bed so you won't get in trouble for me staying up? Then you can go get the pillow fixed and hope Sans doesn't notice it's gone till you get back? You could leave a note saying you went late night shopping or something?"

\----

Relieved, Papyrus grinned brightly and hugged Frisk. “You never cease to amaze me with your expertly cooked plans, tiny sister! Alright, you clean up and I'll go to Muffet's! Thankfully the feathers can be replaced very easily, so I'll pick some up at the store on the way. Where does she live?”

\----

Hugging back, she squeezed him tightly, then withdrew. "Here, I'll find out for you!" Running to her room, she got out the rather large directory, skimming for Muffet's name. Finding the right page, she unclasped the binder rings and pulled it out, hurrying back to Papyrus's room. "Her address is right here." She handed the paper over.

\----

He took the paper and read it. “Oh, wowie, seems she doesn't live too far from here! She's only ... _on the other side of the park?!_ If I go through the park Sans will surely see me and his busted pillow! But if I go around it, there may not be enough time to get back before Sans and Lady Toriel do! Isn't there a shortcut I could take?”

\----

Frisk started to look defeated. "Oh, I don't know ... Sans seems to be the one who knows all the shortcuts.... I'm not sure what to do. But there has to be a way!" She slammed a fist to her palm determinedly. "Maybe there's some way I can distract them if they get back and you're still out?" She didn't mention how disastrous it had turned out while trying to keep Sans and Toriel from getting back to the house earlier.

\----

“Hmmm.... That just might work! I'm counting on you, Frisk! I know I needn't worry as you're as reliable as can be! Okay, I'm off to see Muffet! I'll be back as soon as I can! NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus rushed out of the room, but ran back in before descending the stairs to hug Frisk. “Oh, I may not be back when you go to sleep, so.... Good night, tiny sister! The Great Papyrus loves you very much!” Planting a skeletal kiss on her forehead, he left for Muffet's.

\----

Frisk giggled as he came back, smiling happily at his affection. "I love you too, Papyrus. Good luck." She waved him off, then started the task of cleaning up the mess of feathery down.

~~~  
\----  
~~~

The sky was quickly darkening, the not-quite-full moon rising overhead. There was a bench not too far into the park on top of a small incline, and Sans pointed it out, making his way over and setting the box down next to it. He glanced up, breathing in the cooler evening air, feeling energized.

\----

“My, it feels so nice out this evening! Not too humid, not too chilly, and there's a perfect breeze.” Toriel gently placed the telescope down in the grass before looking up, finding not a cloud in the sky, revealing the billions upon billions of stars. “Oh, this is absolutely beautiful!”

\----

Hands in his pockets, Sans gazed at the sight, pupils shimmering with awe and delight. "there's so many of 'em...," he said quietly. After a few moments, he bent down and pulled his new camera from the box, turning it on, adjusting the aperture and settings. "hey, tori, smile for me, i wanna get a shot of the two most stunning things out tonight."

\----

“Ahahaaaww, Sans! Very well, then.” Blushing a bit at the compliment, Toriel smiled sweetly for the camera.

\----

Grinning back, he lifted the camera to aim the shot, fiddling just a bit more with the focus until it was just right. With his height, he was able to get a good angle of Toriel against the twinkling backdrop of stars, and he took a couple pictures in quick succession. "that's just lovely, tori." He lowered the camera, smiling adoringly at her.

\----

“Aww, thank you, dear. I'm sure that picture you took of me was _out of this world_.”

\----

"heheheh!" Sans was grinning so broadly it almost ached. "oh, gosh, tori, i don't think you could make me any happier, even if you _planet_ , heheh!"

\----

Toriel laughed quite loudly. “Ohoho, good one! Perhaps we should start calling you _Cosmic_ Sans now. Ehehee!”

\----

Nearly doubling over, Sans put a hand to his chest in his mirth. "hahaha! i'll be a big _star_. forget world-wide, i'll make _universal_ tours...!"

\----

Toriel had to sit down on the bench to keep herself from collapsing to the ground, lost in laughter.

\----

Slowly calming down, Sans peered at Toriel joyfully. Gosh, he could never get enough of her laughter....

Sitting down next to her on the bench, he leaned and nuzzled against her.

\----

Calming down from her laughing fit, Toriel smiled down lovingly at Sans and wrapped an arm around him to draw him closer in a hug. A sudden movement from up above caught her attention and she looked up, gasping at what she saw. “I do not believe it! Sans, look, quick!”

The night sky had countless little white lights streaking across it, creating a magical, radiant meteor shower. The streaks started off slow, but gradually the meteors became more and more frequent in the display.

\----

Sans followed her direction and his breath hitched. At first he thought it was a trick of his eyes, the movement was so fast, but as more and more zipped across the dark, endless sky, he settled back to watch in amazed fascination, feeling safe and cozy with Toriel's arm around him. Earlier, she had said if you made a wish when this happened, the wish would come true. He didn't quite believe that was true, but he made one anyway, silently, earnestly, with-all-his-SOUL wishing for the timeline to remain stable. "it's ... absolutely majestic."

\----

“I didn't expect the meteor shower to be tonight,” Toriel breathed, swept up in awe as well. She honestly never imagined she would ever be able to see another meteor shower ever again. “How incredibly lucky are we? Oh, Sans, you may want to take a picture of it before it ends.”

\----

"heh, you're right!" Sans held up the camera, snapping a few pictures, though he wasn't sure if any would turn out with how quick the meteors streaked by, even with tapping into his magic to slow his surroundings for himself so he could track them better. He found the video setting on the camera and managed to get a small clip just as the spectacle was slowing down.

\----

“Oh, dear! I just remembered! I still need to make a wish, silly me!” The goat monster closed her eyes and thought hard on what to wish for. There were far too many wishes she wanted to come true, but she knew she needed to settle on a specific one before the spectacle ended. Finally, she settled down on a wish: a wish for her friends and family to always stay happy, healthy, and accomplished — specifically Sans and Frisk.

\----

Sans grinned at her, giving her hand a squeeze, putting the camera back in the box and pulling out the journal, pen, and flashlight. Flipping to the first page, he wrote the date and approximated the time, making a record of the event. Perhaps he should get in the habit of wearing a watch; it had become hard to care about exact times when it had become all but meaningless to him.

\----

Toriel began to relax quite a bit since she closed her eyes, and moments later she cuddled up next to Sans, making sure not to put too much weight on him. She began to softly snore as she fell asleep.

\----

Hearing her snores, Sans glanced up, then softly chuckled, giving her a small nuzzle. He wanted to reach up and pet her, but he wasn't sure if she'd appreciate that, especially while asleep. Instead he simply rested and cuddled with her for a few minutes before gingerly slipping out of her embrace. After making sure she still looked comfortable, he walked over to the telescope and proceeded to explore the heavens.


	16. Spider Tickles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KitchyKitty ~ Sans, Frisk, Muffet  
> Yoshachu ~ Papyrus, Toriel

After stopping by the store to pick up a few bags of down feathers, Papyrus continued his race against time to Muffet's. He spotted a house infested with spiderwebs and shivered a bit at the sight. He never wanted to admit his fears, but arachnophobia was definitely one of them. How his skin hadn’t been crawling — metaphorically speaking — at the thought of talking to a spider monster who obviously would house millions of tiny arachnids before now was beyond him. “Oh, boy.... But ... I have to do this for Sans! And for myself....” Gulping, he climbed up the steps to the front door and knocked, trying to steer clear of any spiderwebs — which was nearly impossible.

\----

An airy, rasp of a giggle sounded from inside the house and after a few moments, the door opened to reveal a large, soft-purple spider monster who leaned daintily on the frame. Wisps of webbing floated loftily from behind her. "Ahuhuhu~ Hello, dearie. I don't often get visitors at this time of night. What brings you to my home?" She wore an unreadable smile.

\----

Papyrus began to tremble, and he gulped nervously. She looked even scarier at night. He forced himself to calm down and he cleared his throat, forcing his usual self-assured persona into play. “G-greetings, Ms. Muffet! I am the Great Papyrus, former sentry to the Royal Guard of Snowdin Town! I heard from Frisk the ambassador that you could help me weave a pillow back together using the traditional spider stitch. I ... accidentally busted my brother's pillow, and you're the only one we know of who can fix it. Care to help a fellow monster out?”

\----

"Oh, let me see that, dearie." Without waiting for the skeleton's permission, she reached with her mid-set of arms, gently taking the ripped pillowcase from him and looked it over. "This is certainly the craftsmanship of spiders~ I can fix it for you, ahuhuhu~" Her many eyes glittered. "Would you like to come in?" She stepped back, gesturing with a lower hand to the dark, cobwebby interior, faint movement noticeable along the walls.

\----

Papyrus yelped when Muffet practically snatched the case from him from absolutely nowhere. His trembling hadn’t ceased. “Ummm.... S-sure, why not?... Thank you....” He quiveringly stepped into the house, looking around at the many spiders webs hanging by the ceiling, walls, floor, and even furniture in fear.

\----

As he entered, she lightly placed one of her hands on his shoulder, the pillowcase draped over another arm, guiding him to a cozier room, turning on a lamp for the skeleton's benefit. There were a couple cushioned chairs with a web-pattern design, actual webs connecting between them and the wall. A small, eight-sided table was next to the seating, set with tiny plates and teacups. "Have a seat, dearie. Would you like anything to eat or drink while you wait? You can set those down anywhere, ahuhuhu~" She pointed to his bags.

\----

“Well ... I am quite parched from my run over here. Th-thank you, Ms. Muffet.” He looked down at the couch, making sure there weren’t any spiders present, then carefully placed down the bags on the floor next to him once he seated himself. He shuddered as he gave the room a quick glance. “Um.... Lovely house you have here. It's very ... webby.”

\----

"Ahuhuhu~ Oh, thank you~" Without even a single one of her eyes leaving him, she sat opposite of him in a chair, raising one hand and snapping her fingers. Instantly, a pitcher descended down from the ceiling, hung by webbing and maneuvered by a dozen very tiny spiders. Once it was directly above the teacup nearest Papyrus, the pitcher tipped slightly, spilling out a strange purple liquid. Once the cup was filled near-to-the-brim, the pitcher was hoisted back out of sight.

Muffet grabbed a sewing kit next to her chair, setting it in her lap, gathering the proper materials as she asked, "So, dearie, how did your brother come to own a pillow like this? Did he buy it from a spider?" There was an odd glint to her eyes.

\----

Papyrus jumped in fright as the pitcher and spiders descended in front of him from nowhere, and a chill ran down his spine as he watched them moving around their little legs to pour the liquid. He hesitated from drinking it, but, wanting to be a polite house guest even in a house of terrifying creatures, he picked up the tea cup by the handle anyway and gave it a tentative sip. Hmm, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be actually. He took a second small sip. “Well ... Sans had a best friend who was a spider monster when he was much younger. I think her name was, uh, Weaver I believe. She gave him that pillow the day before ... erm ... before she....” He didn’t finish the sentence. He wanted to say, _before she went on vacation_ , but somehow, with how depressed Sans had been when his friend departed and had yet to return, that didn’t sound completely true....

\----

Muffet was reflectively quiet for a moment. "Oh dear, what a shame." Her voice was soft, like a hiss, and finally, the majority of her eyes looked down to begin the needlework. "A gift from a spider is quite a rare gesture. They must have been close." Her fingers worked fast, but fluidly, flawlessly picking up where the seams had torn and replicating the intricate stitching. "Since that was the circumstance, I won't charge you for the repair ... but if you want to make a donation toward spider charity, that would be very sweet of you~" She giggled raspily again.

Suddenly, a rather large muffin with a set of very jagged teeth and eight legs scuttled up to the couch where Papyrus sat. It peered up at him with two beady eyes, gently tapping at his knees with it's front pair of legs, seeming excited.

\----

“Hmm.... Well, I'm always looking forward to donating a few G for anyone in ne— _AAAAAHH!!_ ” Screaming at the sight of the large muffin creature, he ended up jumping so high, he flew over the couch and collapsed behind it to the floor.

\----

"Oh dear, are you alright? Raisin, come here! Sit down! There's a good boy~ I'm sorry if my pet gave you a fright, dearie. He does like visitors, ahuhuhu~"

Behind the couch was a rather thick nest of cobwebs, though only a few spiders were hiding there, and luckily none of them were squashed by his landing. A few did scamper across him in panic, however.

\----

Panic shot through him when he found he had tangled himself up in the web, and he whimpered as he struggled to pull himself out. However, once the spiders began crawling all over him he let out a surprised squeal followed by profuse giggling. Their tiny little legs tickled so much! Somehow, having one of his greatest fears all over him with no way of defending himself only made his bones even more sensitive. “N-NYEHEEHEHE! THAT-THAT TICKLES! PLEHEAAE! H- _HEEELP_!!”

\----

"Did you get caught back there...~?" Her tone was rather amused, and she got up from her seat, walking over to the couch, climbing and looking down over the back. Her lower arms still held the pillowcase and needle and webby thread, upper hands daintily holding her chin with the backs of her fingers. "Don't struggle so much, or you'll get more tangled up, ahuhuhu~" Reaching down with her mid-arms, she gingerly brushed away the webbing, then pulled Papyrus to a stand. Gently dusting him off, she tilted her head with that unreadable, fanged expression. "So you're a bit ticklish, are you~?"

\----

Once he was freed, Papyrus frantically brushed off his bones even though there was nothing left on them, shuddering uncontrollably. He gulped a bit at the question, his cheekbones turning orange, and he looked down in embarrassment. “Erm.... M-maybe....”

\----

"Oh, that's rather cute~" She said cheerfully in her quiet hiss, lightly and briefly scritching at his jaw before making her way back to her chair, sitting down and resuming her task. "So, you said you accidentally broke the pillow. And you're here so very late. I'm taking it your brother doesn't know~?" she asked coyly.

\----

His cheeks turned an even deeper shade of orange, and he couldn't keep himself from grinning at the soft jaw tickling, which only made him blush more intensely. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to turn down the heat flaring in his cheeks, as he sat himself back down on the couch. “Yeah, he doesn't know. I accidentally busted it playing with Frisk, and he'd be _so mad_ at me if he found out what happened to it. Um.... You won't tell him you fixed it, right? Please?”

\----

She raised one of her hands to her mouth in apparent amusement. "Ahuhuhuhu~! Don't look so anxious. I'll keep your secret, dearie~" Her eyes glinted. "Would you like to pet Raisin? He won't bite. Unless you look tasty~" She tilted her head, fanged-grin growing the slightest bit.

\----

“U-Umm.... O-okay....” He inched a trembly hand towards Raisin.

\----

Opening his mouth in excitement, Raisin raised his head to meet Papyrus's hand, rubbing against him, making cooing sounds.

"Ahuhu, see, he likes you. There's nothing to be afraid of." Nearly finished with the stitching, she snapped her fingers with a gesture, and several spiders crawled out to lift up the bags of feathers, bringing them over to her. Opening them up, she reached in and pulled out a handful, beginning to stuff it inside the pillowcase. "You can be honest, are you frightened by me, dearie~?"

\----

Papyrus couldn’t help but smile a little as he gently stroked Raisin's head. He had to admit, for a creature with creepy spider-like features, it was kinda cute. At the unexpected question, he looked away shamefully. “Well ... I didn't want to offend you or your spider family, but ... I am a bit arachnophobic. But.... Now I’m starting to see that spiders aren't nearly as bad or scary as I thought. They can be quite friendly actually, like you and Raisin.”

\----

Raisin was ecstatic at the affection, rolling onto his back, legs curling up close to his body, wanting belly pets.

Muffet giggled behind a set of fingers, watching him with all her eyes as she continued her work. "You're very brave. It's no wonder you were a sentry of the Royal Guard~ I'm used to other monsters being quite scared of me, and some even hate spiders, but you're very polite~"

\----

Papyrus chuckled sheepishly and rubbed Raisin's belly. “Thank you, Ms. Muffet. I do try to be a good house guest. It'd be unfair of me to not be when you were so generous as to fix my brother's pillow.”

\----

The muffin monster started to rock, making pleased trills.

The pillow was fully stuffed now, and Muffet began to stitch it closed. "I'm quite happy to help a friend to spiders~ Especially concerning something so special, ahuhuhu~" She finished the final seam, giving the pillow a few pats to fluff it up, then held it out. "There, see what you think. Does it match what you remember~?"

\----

Papyrus grinned rather widely, taking the pillow and giving it a few fluffs himself. It looked good as new. “It's perfect! Oh, thank you so very much, Ms. Muffet! How could I ever repay you? Oh, would this do for now?” He stopped petting Raisin to reach into his pocket for his wallet, and he pulled out 100G. “I know it's not much, but I hope it will help a little.”

\----

Muffet stood and accepted the money without hesitation, tucking it away in a pocket. "Oh, how sweet of you, dearie, ahuhuhu~" She put an arm around him, walking him to the front door. Her smile was ever-so-slightly wider as she reached up to delicately play fingertips under his chin. "Do come back and see me if you need my help again, won't you, Papyrus~? I know Raisin would be glad to see you, too~"

Following behind, her pet bounced at his feet as if in agreement.

\----

Papyrus blushed and grinned at the chin tickles again, then found himself nodding without much hesitation. This experience seemed to help him get over a bit of his arachnophobia, and he figured that if he made enough visits and spent time with Muffet's spider family he'd be cured of the fear. Plus, Raisin was pretty cute, and he found himself wanting to see him again. “Nyehehe! You can count on it, Ms. Muffet! Thanks again for fixing my brother's pillow!” He bent down to Raisin and gave him one final pat on the head. “See you soon, Raisin!” With that, he began his jog back home.

\----

"It was my pleasure~ Goodbye for now, ahuhuhu~!" Muffet waved, playfully blowing a kiss, and keeping a firm hold on an energetic Raisin all at once while closing the door.

\----

Strangely feeling energized by having slowly begun to overcome one of his greatest childhood fears, Papyrus picked up his jogging pace back home, steering clear of the park.

Little did he know of a few lingering cobwebs stuck to his scarf flowing behind him in the wind....

~~~  
\----  
~~~

As the night wore on, the evening air took on a chilly turn that Sans was able to barely perceive. He could honestly stay up the whole night to study the stars, but he was worried about Toriel getting too cold. Withdrawing from his telescope, he put the rest of his recording equipment in the box and approached the bench, gently resting a hand on Toriel's arm, giving her a light shake. "hey, tori ... it's starting to get pretty late...."

\----

Toriel snorted with a start as she was roused from her sleep, and she blinked open her heavy eyes. She sat up on the bench and yawned, cupping a paw over her mouth, and stretched. “Oh, goodness.... Oh, Sans, I do apologize, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you.”

\----

"heheh, it's not a problem, tori." Sans smiled softly at her, offering his hand. "i didn't want to disturb ya. thought i'd break in the telescope. it's such a nice gift, thanks so much again!"

\----

“It's no trouble at all, Sansy. I'm so glad you enjoy it. I suppose we should start heading home now....” She took his hand, only to gently pull him into her lap and hug her arms around him. “But first thing's first.” With a giggle, she began nuzzling the back of his neck.

\----

Sans squeaked with a blush as Toriel pulled him into her close embrace, sockets briefly widening as he realized what she was about to do. "eheee—~! aahaaha! oh gahahash!" Shoulders raised and lightly shaking, the rest of him trembled and he gently clutched at her dress. "th-that tihihickles...~! hehehee~haaha!" His SOUL was absolutely squirming within him.

\----

“Ohoho, you just have the cutest giggle!” She planted little tickly kisses on the back of his skull as she lightly scratched his ribs through his jacket.

\----

Ducking his head, Sans laid against her helplessly, lurching and wriggling when her fingers hit the sensitive area. Even through his clothing, it still tickled quite a bit. "kkheheh—! gghahaahaa~! ahaa! nn~nahahaaahaa! p—hahaahaa~!" He fought down every protest, just in case it actually made her stop.

\----

“Hehehe! Let's see those adorable feet now, shall we?” Toriel cradled him in her lap and grasped his right ankle in one paw, slowly and teasingly untying his shoelaces before slowly sliding it off, gliding a thumb up his sole as she did so.

\----

Sans let out a quiet whine as she took her time with his shoe. Oh, gosh, she knew _exactly_ what she was doing to him...! He quivered weakly in the anticipation, SOUL fluttering and sole tingling. He choked on a squeak, foot jumping and twitching violently as she so purposefully tickled him with the removal, and he squirmed in her lap, blushing intensely.

\----

She finished pulling off his shoe and placed it next to her on the bench, then gently pulled up his sock to bare his heel. Giggling, she very slowly and gently scratched along it, covering his ankles a bit as well.

\----

"ahaaa ... aaaaa~—! you're k-kihilllin' mehe, t-toriehe...~! ehe~aahh!" Sans whimpered, jumping at the direct contact; her measured pace was driving him up the wall, and he was quivering uncontrollably, fingers tightly curled in the agonized, ticklish stress. _Geeze_ , she was _good_ at this.... — and that was terrifyingly thrilling.

\----

Slowly working up his foot, she used her knuckles to gradually nudge the sock up inch by inch as she gently scratched his sole. “Hehehe! What's wrong, Sansy? Does this tickle?”

\----

"kknnh-hh-heheehaa! a-aaha...~! pl-plehehease...! heheee!" Sans shuddered at her gentle taunt. "i-ihit d-does...! ihit t-tihickles s-so m-muhuhuch—!" And it _did_. He was completely at the mercy of every little movement of her devastating fingers. 

Part of him was largely anxious at the fact that he was so vulnerable in this manner so out in the open, but luckily, the park was theirs tonight, it seemed. In any case, he was far too distracted to properly check and satisfy his paranoia.

\----

Finally, Toriel slid the sock off completely, letting it fall on the bench beside her, beginning to tickle his toes. “Aww, look at these adorable little skelly-toesies! They're just begging for tickles, aren't they? Citchy-citchy-coo~”

\----

Sans practically contorted in her grip, stuttering out a squeal, toes wiggling and curling. "eee~kkheeeehee—~! oho nohohononono! ahahaa! p-pleheeehease~!" he begged shrilly. Her cooing teases held him entranced to the moment, feeling all the more sensitive and helpless. "ahaahaa~heeheee! ahehe c-cahan't s-stahahand ihit—! hehehee!"

\----

“Oops, sorry!” She stopped tickling so he could better catch his breath, fearing she was pushing him a little too far. “Are you okay?”

\----

Gulping and lightly panting, Sans shivered a bit before relaxing. Geeze ... how did she get him so worked up over one foot!? "hheh ... hh ... i'm f-fine...." He gazed up at her with a reassuring smile, calming down. "you're just ... reheally good at that, heheh...."

\----

Reassured, she smiled down at him and giggled softly. “Well, I have had quite a lot of children, so I've had time to hone my skills.” Tilting her head, she asked, “Sans, may I try something? If it makes you feel uncomfortable, that's fine, but ... I would like to see how long you could stand still as I tickled you before your reflexes overpowered you.”

\----

He chuckled, glancing away, then back at her, grinning a bit sheepishly. "oh, heh, you can try if you like. i don't know if i can hold still, but i'll at least give it a shot. d-do ya want me to be completely still, or just where you're ticklin'?"

\----

“Hmm.... Well, I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on you, so you can just keep your feet still — that's where I'll be tickling since your ribs are a little too sensitive. Is that alright with you?”

\----

"all right, sounds fair," he said with a nod, and took a deep breath to steady himself. "okay, i think i'm ready." He smiled, cheeks tinged with blue.

\----

She giggled as she gently spidered her claws along his sole with two hands instead of just one, doubling the ticklish sensations. “Don't forget not to move, and that includes your toes!”

\----

His sockets widened as the tickling returned twofold and it took every bit of mental concentration to slam the brakes on his feet's reflexes after an initial jerk. It didn't stop his spine from arching a bit, but he was able to hold his foot quite immobile on his own aside from quivering in place. "aaaahahaaa! oho gahahaash, toriii—!" he squealed. It was about equally hard a feat as the no-laughing challenge Papyrus had wanted to play with him.

\----

“I have a feeling you won't last long at all, hehehee!” She slid up to skitter all over his toes with both sets of claws and fluffy fingers, picking up the pace rather significantly to give Sans a bit of a challenge.

\----

"eeeeeehehee! nahahat ihif you k-keeheheep thahat uhup—!" he squeaked out, thumping his shoulders back, trembling intensely. Tossing his head a few times, he leaned it back, tears beading from tightly closed sockets. While his hands searched for purchase on his face and at his shirt, his fingers expressed everything that he denied his toes — curling and flexing and wiggling, venting everything she so eagerly gave him — but even that was not enough, and he knew she was absolutely right. His resoluteness to endure was as thin as already-cracking glass.

\----

Tickling under and between his toes with one hand, she glided her fluffy claws up and down the top of his foot and toes with the other. “If you can last a few more moments, you can have another slice of pie.~”

\----

Head still tipped back, he buried his face behind clawed fingers as he cachinnated. He managed to peek at her when she gave her proposition. Would ... would she deny him pie if he couldn't make it? The image of the heavenly cinnamon-butterscotch pie under lock and key, and Toriel's mischievously scolding face, sprang into his mind — making him laugh a bit harder. But then he branched off from the thought, imagining his foot to be encased by some steel vice, wrapped up in chains, toes individually bound, completely secure and contained and immobile, and he held on, whimpering and whining piteously at the torture of it all. His entire body was shaking.

\----

Toriel giggled mischievously before making a really sneaky move by lifting his foot up to her muzzle so she could nuzzle and nibble his toes, still gliding a set of claws up and down his sole mercilessly.

\----

The surprise and intensity of the nuzzling nibbles were more than enough to shatter both his illusion and his willpower. Fortunately, she had a good enough hold that he couldn't kick, but he jerked and tugged on his leg, toes curling and twitching frantically under her muzzle's ministrations. The rest of his foot tried to scrunch away from her expert, deadly tickly fingers. "ggaaaaaahahaaaa—! aaaiiiheeeeeeeeheeehaaaa! nahaaaaaaaahat thaaaahaat!" he shrieked. "ihihit's soho—! aha—~! eeheeee! pleeheease! plehease~please! hahahaaaa!"

\----

Toriel laughed and stopped, letting go of him. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist, ahahaa! You actually did really well for being as ticklish as you are. I hope you had fun regardless.” She kissed his skull affectionately.

\----

Sans continued to giggle a bit haphazardly in somewhat of a daze, still slightly shivering. "hh ... hehe ... oho geeheeze ... hhf ... thahat was ... ...difficult." His steady blush grew at her kiss and he subtly drew his jacket a bit closer around him as if to better conceal the fluttery stirrings of his SOUL. "th-thanks, i ... i did have f-fun, though, heh...." He wiped the lingering tears away from his sockets. "i'm glad you enjoyed yourself too. heheh, even if you're sneaky." He grinned, but it was genuine and happy.

\----

She raised a paw to her mouth to giggle into it. “Well, I suppose we've been out here for long enough. Are you ready to go back home?”

\----

He nodded. "yeah ... but, first, uh...." Looking away, he took a small embarrassed breath. "um, well, you don't have to say anything if ya don't want to. but, if ... there's anything that makes _you_ happy, l-like tickling does for me, well ... i guess i'm just lettin' ya know i'd like to make sure you're happy too, if there's anything i can do for ya."

\----

“Aww, thank you so much, Sans, but the one thing that makes me truly happy is knowing my friends and family are happy. Among ... other things....” She turned light red, falling silent for a few moments, before clearing her throat and placing Sans in the seat next to her so she could stand off and brush out her dress. She delicately picked up the telescope. “Let's head back, shall we?”

\----

"course, tori," he responded softly with a small, fond smile. He noticed her heavy blush and pause, but didn't want her to be embarrassed, so he didn't pursue it. If she wanted something, she could tell him on her own time. Sliding off the bench, he picked up his box and nudged up next to her. "thanks so much, toriel, i had a _stellar_ time tonight." He winked.

\----

“Aheheehe! Well, I'm glad. We should really do this again sometime soon. But for now, let's head back. Exhaustion is finally catching up to me....” On cue, she yawned again.

\----

Sans nodded with arched eyes. "heheh, i'll probably be sleepin' in till noon tomorrow, myself." He kept close to the goat monster's side as they made their way home.

Frisk had dutifully collected every bit of down she could find, sweeping them into a dustpan and shaking them into a garbage bag. It was tedious work, but she was determined to do a thorough job for Papyrus's sake. After double and triple-checking every corner and crevice of the room, she deemed it feather-free and tried to decide where to toss the bag where it wouldn't be checked. The garbage bin outside seemed like the most logical and direct place, so that's exactly where it went.

Changing into her pajamas, she crawled into her own bed. With all her attentiveness in cleaning Papyrus's room, she hadn't looked into a mirror, and so hadn't noticed the tiny feathers still caught in her hair.

\----

Thankfully, Papyrus had made it home before Sans and Toriel did, and he quickly burst into the house to deposit the repaired pillow on Sans' bed. In his frenzy, he had completely forgotten to lock the front door, when it was always locked at all times. He raced to the couch and pounced on it, getting into a casual position, and quickly flipped to the MTT station.

Toriel stopped at the front door and placed the telescope down to pull out her keys to the door. She slipped the key into the slot and turned, but found there was no clicking noise. “Hmm? The doors unlocked? That's bizarre.... I could have sworn we locked it before we left.” Shrugging, she and Sans walked in, spotting the younger skeleton already on the couch. “Hello, Papyrus!”

Papyrus nearly jumped out of his battle body in fright, but quickly collected himself. “O-oh! Hello, Lady Toriel! Hello, Sans! How was your night out?”

“It was wonderful! We managed to catch a meteor shower! It was so majestic! Wasn't it, Sans?”

\----

"oh my gosh, pap, it was the most amazing thing!" Sans agreed, eyes lighting up. "wish you coulda seen it, unless you did? the front door was unlocked, heh, did you step out for a bit?" He rocked on his heels, arms still around his box.

\----

“Ummm.... Yyyyeeeessss! Y-yes, I did! It was, as you said, majestic and beautiful! W-Well.... It's getting rather late, so I'll see you two in the morning! GOOD NIGHT!” He trotted quickly to his room, the strands of cobweb flowing behind his scarf.

\----

Sans watched him go in mild confusion. He knew that tone — that nervous, too-energetic, no-nothing's-wrong-why-do-you-ask vibe his brother gave off when something was amiss. His eyes were drawn to the cobwebs that stood out from the bright color of his brother's scarf, and his usual smile reduced in his worry. He knew Papyrus was terrified of spiders, and even just walking into a web would freak him out.

Deciding he'd see if anything was actually wrong in a little bit, Sans shifted the box to one arm, grabbing the TV remote and turning the television off. Before the screen flashed to black, he noticed it was still in the middle of an MTT cooking program. Papyrus usually liked to watch Mettaton shows in their entirety — especially when food preparation was involved — even the reruns. Just another thing that was odd about all this.

Turning to Toriel he smiled warmly. "hey, uh, i'm gonna put this stuff away and then talk to pap for a bit before i get to bed. but i just wanted to tell you how happy i've been spending the day with you. you're so amazing and sweet, tori, and i still can't get over the fact you'd ask me of all people to go out with you, but ... i do love you very much. i hope you sleep well."

\----

Toriel seemed confused by Papyrus' tone of voice as well, but not knowing him nearly as well as Sans did she dismissed this. That was until she saw Sans frown with worry. She had a hunch something was wrong with the younger brother. “Oh, yes, that's perfectly fine, Sans. And I'm glad you had a good time. I'm honestly still astonished that someone as young and sweet as you fell for an old bleating goat like me.” She giggled before hugging him close. “I love you, too, my dear. I'll head to bed shortly, though; I want to check on Frisk and make sure she went to bed on time. Good night, sugar skull.~” She gave Sans a playful little tickle under the chin before making her way to Frisk's room.

\----

Her embrace was so comfortable, and her affectionate words warmed him to the core. "hehee—~! n-night, tori...." Blushing at her parting touch, he smiled to himself as he made his way to his room. Setting the box down next to his desk, he noticed his sentimental pillow on his bed. He thought he'd left it in Papyrus's room from last night, when his brother insisted he sleep there after another nightmare.

It had been his first one on the Surface, and though it was different from the usual ones he'd suffered from, it had still shaken him badly.

Papyrus must have returned it to his room sometime while he was out. Picking it up, he held it to his chest, squeezing it gently as memories of his friend flooded his mind. He knew there were a lot of things he couldn't remember, and Weaver was someone he never wanted to forget.

He decided to bring it with him, just in case Papyrus needed some brotherly support tonight.

Walking to his brother's door, he gently knocked. "hey pap? can i come in?"

\----

Papyrus’ yelp had been heard on the other side of the door at the knocking, followed by him clearing his throat. “Er, y-yes. Come on in.”

Toriel quietly opened the door to Frisk's room and smiled fondly when she saw the child sleeping contently. She walked over and softly stroked her hair, only to stop mid-stroke when her paw ran over something abnormally fluffy. She peered into Frisk's hair and saw a few down feathers entangled in the brown mess. Curious, she plucked a few feathers out and observed them before gently running a finger across them. They oddly reminded her of the comfortable plushy stuffing inside Sans' special pillow; she remembered him letting her feel it once, and it felt as soft as these feathers. Deciding to question him on the topic, she silently left Frisk's room, closing the door behind her, and made her way to Papyrus' room where she heard Sans' voice.

\----

Sans let himself in, walking to Papyrus's bed, sitting on the edge, still clutching the pillow close to his SOUL. "hey, pap ... is everything okay? you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

\----

“Wh-what do you me—” He was cut off when Toriel knocked on the open door before walking in.

“Oh, so sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but I had a quick question. Sans, by chance aren't these the feathers from your pillow?” She held them out for him to see. “I found them in Frisk's hair.”

Papyrus stiffened, his eyes widening and his SOUL missing a beat.

\----

"huh? lemme see...." Sans leaned over to look at and touch them, then glanced down at his pillow, stitched up tightly. His eyes traveled to the scarf still sticky with cobwebs. The beginnings of a picture of what may have happened to make his brother so anxious started forming in his mind.

He looked back down and ran a trembling thumb across the elaborate needlework, staying rather uncharacteristically quiet.

\----

Unable to take the suspense and tension and silence and mixed feelings anymore, Papyrus just bursted into a mess of emotions. “OKAY, I'LL ADMIT IT! I ACCIDENTALLY BUSTED YOUR PILLOW PLAYING PILLOW TICKLE WAR WITH THE HUMAN! I WANTED TO FIX IT SO FRISK SENT ME TO A SPIDER MONSTER NAMED MUFFET AND SHE WAS SO SCARY AND RAISIN WAS SO BIG AND THE WEBS WERE SO STICKY AND THE SPIDERS WERE SO TICKLY AND I TRIED TO ENDURE IT FOR YOU TO GET YOUR PILLOW FIXED BECAUSE SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD AND _I'M SORRYYYYYHEEHEEHEEHEEEEE!!_ ” He wrapped his arms around Sans, collapsing to the ground, and sobbed hysterically. “PLEASE FORGIVE ME, BROTHER, I DIDN'T MEAN IT! PLEASE DON’T HATE MEEEEE!”

\----

Sans listened to Papyrus's panicked confession in a shocked sort of daze, everything feeling a bit numb, only reacting a few seconds after his brother had flung his arms around him. Slowly, he returned the embrace, closing his eyes and nuzzling him gently. "hey, hey ... calm down pap, everything's alright. i ... i'm not mad, okay?" he assured quietly. "...it sounds like you went through hell already anyway, heh." He firmly took Papyrus by the shoulders, prying him far enough away so he could look him the eyes. Sans knew his sockets were shimmering with the threat of tears, but with how hysterical his brother was, he had to show him he meant it. "i forgive you, bro. i don't hate ya."

\----

“You....” Papyrus sniffled and hiccuped, looking up at his older brother. “You're n-not?... B-but your pillow.... I ... I really am sorry about it, brother, I didn't mean it.... I know how much it means to you.... Weaver was your best friend.... I understand if you don't want to trust your possessions with me after this!...”

\----

As Papyrus said her name aloud, an intense stab of feeling cut straight through the numbness and the tears that panged in Sans's sockets broke free. "n-naw bro, i...." Raw emotion bit at him. He squeezed the pillow tightly. "i...—!" His pitch twisted higher and he curled his knees up against himself. "...i m-miss her—!" he choked out quietly, voice strained. Burying his face in the pillow, he sobbed.

\----

Sniffling, feeling yet another pang of sorrow as Sans began to cry, Papyrus brought his brother close to his chest and hugged him tightly. “I-I'm sorry, Sans.... She meant the world to you....”

Toriel frowned, her own tears beginning to sting her eyes. Watching other people cry always made her do the same. She sat down on the bed next to Sans and rubbed his back. “Oh, Sans.... I'm so sorry.... Weaver was a lovely monster indeed, always doing all she could to help others in need, especially her spider family. If it makes you feel any better ... this pillow won't be the only thing you have to remember her by.”

\----

Getting ahold of himself — greatly helped by their support — Sans managed to calm down fairly quick. Lifting his head, he wiped at his sockets. "....y-yeah ... and n-now...." A small smile wavered on his face and he glanced up at Papyrus. "now it's also a reminder of h-how much my bro loves me. walkin' straight into one of his biggest fears for me. heh ... geeze, pap...." Reaching up, he gave the side of his brother's skull an affectionate, gentle flick.

\----

Papyrus smiled a bit. “Nyeheh... Well, I had to face my fear sometime. But it was worth it to fix your pillow for you.”

“Papyrus?” Toriel spoke up softly. “I was just wondering, but what was the name of this spider monster who fixed Sans' pillow?”

“Oh! Her name was Muffet.”

Toriel smiled fondly. “Oh, I figured. No wonder she helped you fix the pillow if it was given to Sans by her mother.”

Papyrus’ eyes widened. “M-MOTHER?!”

\----

Sans softly gasped, another round of tears sliding down his cheeks. "m-muffet ... heh, no wonder the name was familiar. guess that's why the stitching's indistinguishable, she must'a taught her directly." He felt along the seams again with a new appreciation.

\----

“Granted the poor dear was only a few years old and hardly remember too much of Weaver, I'm sure you two could still become friends. She does seem to act a lot like her mother after all.”

“Wowie.... The world of monsters really is a small one after all.... Well, Sans, if you do want to pay her a visit sometime, I'll be more than happy to accompany you! I mean ... sure, she's a spider and she has a whole infestation of spiders living there.... B-but I have to conquer my fear someday. Besides ... Raisin's pretty cute for a muffin spider creature ... thing.”

\----

"heh, i ... i might like to. and course you can come along if you want to, pap. heheheh, and if you think anything to do with spiders is cute, then, that's definitely somethin' i hafta see." He chuckled into his hand.

\----

Papyrus smiled gently and gave Sans an affectionate little squeeze. “Well, enough about me and my mishaps, what did you two do? You were out pretty late.”

“We spent about two hours watching the stars — I ended up taking a nap in between — and then we played a couple tickle games for roughly twenty minutes before heading home.”

\----

Sans blushed at the last bit, but managed to keep his composure. Mostly. "h-heh, yeah, tori had me try and hold still while being tickled. between the two of you and your 'no venting' games i'm gonna like explode or somethin'." He laughed, and then his eyes widened and he put a hand to his mouth in horrified realization of what he'd just said.

\----

“Hmmm.... Perhaps sometime we could try to combine our two games into one, then....” Smirking deviously, Papyrus rubbed under his chin in a thinking gesture. “One that requires him to both stay still _and_ not laugh.”

Toriel giggled. “Oh, the poor dear would be utterly exhausted after that.”

\----

Sans tried to wave it off with flat-palmed hands, eyes darting between the two of them, chuckling nervously. "uh ... huhh ... heh, i d-don't last long at either one, th-there's no way i'd be able to...."

\----

“We could try! Besides ... I pretty much made you cry after a good night you've had. Wouldn't laughing cheer you back up?”

\----

"well, if laughing _is_ going to be part of the equation, maybe...?" he answered a little shrilly, shrinking back a bit, grin large and nervous.

\----

“Oh, come now, Sans. You know you want to....” Toriel smiled as she tickles under his chin playfully.

“And if it'll make things easier, we won't tickle you too harshly as that'd be a guarantee fail on your part.” Deciding to join in on Toriel's teasing, Papyrus lightly poked his ribs.

\----

"eehehee~! guys, w-wahait! n-noho, wahahaiiit—!" Ducking his head and wrapping arms around his ribs, he twitched and squirmed between them. "ahall rihight..! okahay! i'm gahahanna die, buhut okayhehe—!" Gosh, even their teasing drove him to move and laugh, there was just no way...!

\----

“Very well, then.” Toriel stopped her teasing with a soft, amused giggle. “How about each of us takes a foot? That way we can leave your ribs alone.”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Papyrus agreed eagerly. “And if he succeeds in not laughing or moving for ... 90 seconds, we can let him go. But if he fails, we can try out other tickle games I've been thinking about!”

“Only if it's alright with Sans of course.”

\----

"okay ... okay ... i'll do it. i agree to your terms. but if i win, i demand my own shot at the both of you, heh." He knew he wouldn't last. He'd only gone a minute not laughing, and staying still felt like even less time before he caved. Although, of course, both of them had gradually amped up their methods beyond his level of willpower. And yet, still ... part of him wanted to try. Somehow he was thrilled by the prospect of the two people he trusted most pushing his limits. He voluntarily laid himself back. "i can move everything else but my feet like before, right? or did you want me to try being still as possible?"

\----

“Very well. We both will agree to your terms as well,” Papyrus accepted.

“Hmm.... Well, would you want a bit of a challenge or would that be too much for you? We don't want to overwhelm you too much.”

\----

Sans chuckled. "it's already enough of a challenge, i don't know if i'm ready to try to fully suppress myself ... i dunno if it's even possible." He looked at his toes, wiggling and flexing them while he could before they started. "so i guess i'll just concentrate on these, heh."

\----

Rather eagerly, Toriel and Papyrus both took one foot each and removed his shoes and socks.

“Remember not to mooooove! Nyeheehe!” Papyrus began gliding his pointed fingertips up and down Sans’ sole.

“And no laughing, either.~” Giggling, Toriel lightly poked and prodded under his toes with her claws.

\----

Sans gasped sharply, hands immediately back to his mouth, sockets wide, staring down at the focal points of the playful torture. His mind was dizzied by the contrasts in the texture of their fingers, their differing expert methods, their taunting cooing teases — everything blooming together somewhere in the middle that was just horrendously _ticklish_.

He almost forgot his objective for a moment, nearly letting his mind run wild so that the rest of him could too.

His entire body trembled. He had to temper his breathing, and somehow, conscientiously restricting his voice and entire lower half made the rest of his movements rather sluggish. His hands shook, fingers curling, gripping and pulling on the comforter, spine curving and falling back with a soft thump to the mattress.

"ghnnhnn—! hh...—! nnhnnnnnn—!" He shook his head, eyes tightly shut, smile wide.

\----

“Oh, how adorable, hehehee!” Toriel teased under and between his toes with her claws, swirling her soft thumb of her other hand in small circles on the center of his sole.

“You're already lasting longer than I thought you would, and we just started!” Papyrus began to wiggle and twiddle his toes.

\----

"kkhnnnhnnn—~! oh n-no—! h-hh...! n-not...! nn~hnn!" His torso writhed and twisted in a burst of reactive energy, slightly bending his knees, though he still managed to hold his feet prone for the toe punishment they inflicted, the extra fluffy touch at his sole draining even more of his concentration.

And with Papyrus's method, he couldn't afford to lose much. It took everything he had left to swallow down a squeal.

He didn't know how he'd lasted this long either.

\----

“One minute remaining, Sans!” He started to tickle every last inch of his toes slowly and lightly.

“Hehe! Tickle-tickle, sugar skull.~ Aww, you are just the cutest!” She glided her soft fuzzy fingers up and down his sole, gently blowing on his toes to stir up the air, increasing his sensitivity.

Papyrus couldn’t help but laugh. “She calls you sugar skull? Wowie, what a coincidence! Nyahaaha!”

\----

Ultimately it was already more than he could handle, and not even at the halfway mark, and with both up them upping the ante, both _knowing_ how crazy they were driving him, his entire resolve crumbled away like dust.

Every little thing they did

_tickled_

SO

_MUCH!_

"ggnhhkk~aaahaaaaaheeeeehehee! stahaahaaap! i cahaahan't d-do ihihit!" His toes scrunched up tightly, feet jerking away from their fingers, pulling his legs up as far as he could. Cheeks burning at his brother's remark, he panted and muttered. "hff—! shuhut it, pap.... hh...!"

\----

Toriel laughed and cooed, ceasing her soft ticklish attack. “Ahahaaaww! Too much for you, was it, dear?”

Papyrus snickered mischievously at Sans' retort before grinning. “Well, you know the deal, Sans! I'll be right back to grab some stuff!” He jogged out of the room.

Giggling, Toriel grabbed one of Sans' feet to massage it with her thumbs, putting enough pressure to ensure it didn't tickle. “Are you doing okay so far, Sans?”

\----

"oho, gosh ... too much ... _two_ much! haha ... ghheh...—!" He put a trembly, lightly clawed hand to one side of his skull, the other resting over his chest as he breathed.

Papyrus was getting some ' _stuff_ '. 'Stuff' probably meant what he'd just experienced would be rather mild in comparison. He shivered. In terror or anticipation, he couldn't tell.

He flinched when Toriel grabbed for his feet, but then quickly began to relax at the firmer touch, taking in a low breath and letting out a soft, vocal sigh. It felt so nice; now he didn't want to move for a completely different reason. She was as good at soothing him as stirring him up. It wasn't fair.

"hmm...~ yeah, tori. i'm doing okay. ...you guys are relentless, though, heh." He softly grinned at her, then fully laid his head back, closing his eyes. "mm, that feels ... really good."

\----

Toriel giggled at his pun as she massaged under his toes. “Yes, foot massages are rather relaxing, aren't they?” She muttered something under her breath, something Sans couldn't catch, and rose her voice again to speak to him. “I'm glad you're feeling better.”

\----

Sans thought he heard her mumble something, but he wasn't sure what she said. He didn't think about it too much, especially as she rubbed away the lingering tingles at the base of his toes. His breathing evened out and he occasionally hummed his appreciation. "thanks. i dunno what papyrus has cooked up for me, but if you do this afterwards, i don't even care."

\----

“In that case, consider it done, Sansy-Pansy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested in learning more about Weaver, Yoshachu wrote a short story about her [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7143977/chapters/16220519).


	17. Tickle Games

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS RETURNED!” Papyrus walked in with a whole array of objects: a shoe, a couple paint brushes, a bottle of paint, a bowl of sudsy water, a pair of soft scrub brushes, a clean towel, a kitchen brush, a jar of peanut butter, and a little white dog.

“Oh, dear,” Toriel said with a laugh. “Looks like Papyrus a full agenda for you tonight, Sans, ehehee!”

\----

Sans squeaked and scrabbled back at the sight, sockets wide. "aah—! ...o-okay ... okay, i-i know i agreed to the t-terms, but...." His eyes managed to tear away from the assortment. "a-a dog, pap...? ahaaaa ... oh gossssh...!" He covered his face and squirmed on the spot. "i can’t deal with this...!"

\----

“C'mon, I've been wanting to try these games with you for a very long time now! Pleeeeease, Sans?” He bounced on his toes, grinning brightly and innocently.

\----

With a very, very long, drawn-out sigh, Sans slumped back down. He'd put up with just about anything for Papyrus. Especially when he was so eager. "all right, but you're paying my insanity ward bills, heh."

\----

“THANK YOU, BROTHER! So, what would you like to do first? The ‘Shoe Game’, the ‘Tickle Me Game’, or the ‘Dog Game'?” He practically danced in place with excitement.

Toriel laughed a bit. “Don't worry, Sans, I'll use my healing magic after each game to ensure you don't get too tired.”

\----

Sans chuckled incredulously, but still in good humor. "oh good, thank you." He could have added a little more sarcasm, but he didn't want to make it seem like he was actually ungrateful. Even if she could recharge him to suffer more, at least it wouldn't be out of malice.

He looked at Papyrus with a nervous smile. "uhh, why don't we just go in that order, heh." If the dog game was last, maybe they wouldn't end up playing it tonight. _As if_. Maybe Papyrus would get tired and put it off for another time. _Haha! Right_. Sans trusted Papyrus fine, but the dog was a wildcard.

In any case, Sans was morbidly curious how Papyrus was going to tickle him with a shoe.

\----

Papyrus nodded and placed everything down except for the shoe. “Okay, here are the rules for the Shoe Game: your job is to hold this shoe above your head as Lady Toriel and I tickle your torso. If that shoe goes past your head, or if you let go of it for any reason, you lose the round; there will be three rounds in total. But if you keep that shoe in your grasp and over your head for three full minutes, you win and we won't do the other two games. Then you're free to tickle the two of us to your heart's content.”

Toriel smiled and nodded. “Wow, Papyrus, that's very creative.”

“Nyehehe, thanks! Oh, and one other thing that I forgot to mention: both the Shoe Game and the Tickle Me Game are challenges you have a chance at winning. The Dog Game, however, will be a punishment, should you lose both games.”

\----

Sans gulped, but nodded. Of course the dog was a punishment. The _thought_ of the dog was a punishment. But, part of him had to admit it all sounded a bit fun. His SOUL fluttered with a nervous thrill. _All right. Maybe more than just a bit_. "okay, sounds fair," he agreed. "do you want me upright or layin' down for this?"

\----

“You can lay down. Actually, all these games require you to either sit or lay down.” He gave Sans the shoe. “Okay, once you're ready to begin, lay down and lift the shoe over your head.”

\----

"all right." Accepting the shoe, Sans hesitated a moment before setting it down and removing his jacket. Honestly, they didn't need any more advantages against him than they already had, but he wanted them to have some fun too. Putting his jacket aside with his pillow, he took the shoe in both hands, laying back in a comfortable position and rested his arms up over his head.

Sans suddenly felt very vulnerable like this, especially in just a t-shirt. He squeezed the shoe a little and looked up at his soon-to-be-tickle-tormentors. "r-ready...!"

\----

“Okay! Time start!” After setting the timer on his phone and pocketing it again, Papyrus laughed gleefully, and he immediately headed for Sans’ ribs, sliding his hands under his shirt and skittering all over them fast and hard.

“Good luck, darling.” Toriel aimed for his underarms and scraped her claws against them through the cloth.

\----

Sans wasn't ready. Not for this. Not for the intense gargalesis resulting from Papyrus's rougher treatment. Not for the strange sweet spot he was hardly used to that Toriel expertly exploited. Not for both happening at once so forcefully.

The shoe had been lost somewhere along the way to his arms snapping down at his sides, hands thrashing and clawing from the elbows up, reflexively trying to protect himself as if he were being viciously attacked — which, to be fair, he sort of was. His mental defenses were a lot weaker when it came to his rib-cage. He rocked and flailed and kicked.

"ghhkk—! gaaaaahahaaa! oh noho, staahaappit—! stahahaaap~stop! eehee~! aahaaaaaaaaahaa! i cahahan't! ahee cahan't—!"

\----

“Well, that didn't last long at all!” Papyrus laughed as he and Toriel stopped tickling.

Toriel laughed into her hands. “Awww, hehee! Well, let us know when you're ready to try again.”

\----

Still shaking, he shot Papyrus a look. "ahaaa, i can't believe i'm saying this, but be a little gentler. it's worse, but at least i won't feel like i have to hold onto a steel bar or something. i-it's like an instinct, ya'know? heh ... gheh...." Settling back down, he found the shoe and re-positioned it above his head, now bracing for the worst. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, he nodded to them.

\----

“Okay, I'll have mercy on your overly ticklish ribs.” Giggling, he resumed tickling them, but significantly slower and softer than before.

Toriel headed back to his underarms and gently scratched them. “I think I like tickling here, too, hehe!”

\----

Sans jumped as they resumed, his arms tugging downward as Toriel teased under them, but he managed to stop himself before immediately losing another round.

Shuddering and shivering at the new pace on his ribs, Sans turned his head to the side with arched eyes, giggling and squirming. "aha~! eeeheheeee! oh gahaaa—! pleheeeease...~! heheheeeheee!" He tried to focus on the shoe, to make it his anchor. He imagined it to be like a magnet, he had to keep it repelled away from the sensations, no matter how unbearable it was — his own little mental game to help him cope with this one. His arms slowly and shakily stretched back up as far as he could reach.

\----

Toriel pulled his shirt sleeves down so she could scrape her claws against bone, giggling. “Tickle tickle tickle, Sansy-Pansy! Awww, look at how adorable you are! Citchy-citchy-coo! Goodness, this must tickle a lot, doesn't it?”

Laughing at Toriel's teasing, Papyrus glided his fingers lightly up and down Sans’ spine.

\----

"nohoho, no! nahahat teheheasing~! ehee-! aiiiee~heeheee! nononohoho, gehet out from thehere! gehehehet out! n~nnahaaaahaa!" Kicking and pedaling his legs, he tossed his head. He shivered and arched, wriggling a bit to try and shake off the maddening fingers from his spine. His hands stayed steadfastly above his head, though they trembled.

\----

Toriel began to nuzzle his neck and plant little tickly kisses as she swirled her claws in the hollow pits. “Awww, poor ticklish little babybones! Here I am, having the freedom to tickle as much of these cute little underarms and kissable little neck as I want, and you can't do anything to stop me.~ Tickly-tickle-tickle, cutie pie! Don't you just wanna lower your arms and make the tickling all stop? I know you want tooooo.~”

Papyrus grinned and snickered as he slid his hands back under his shirt to ever so gently scrape his fingers against his ribs, slowly working his way up.

\----

Sans’s concentration greatly buckled under the new assault and the relentless coos. His arms started sliding downward again, unable to keep his counter-game, body quivering under her muzzle's affections.

Oh gosh, yes, how he wanted to lower his arms and make it stop! Make it stop! _But did he...?_ It was absolute torture! _And he loved it_. He couldn't stand it! Couldn't take the circling under his arms, the climbing up his rib bones! _Dog_. Fair point.

"pl-pleeheeeheeeeease...! plehease noho mohore t-tehee—~! teheeasing!" There would be no way he could keep it together if she kept it up. He was a blushing, shivering mess.

\----

“You don't like my teasing, Sansy-Pansy? You must be a grumpy little baby bones!” She blew a little raspberry on the side of his neck before resuming with her nuzzles and kisses, using her fluffy fur to brush under his arms. “What's wrong, little grumpy-bones? Come on, you can tell lil' ol' Tori, can't you?~ I'll keep tickling until you tell me! Kitchy-kitchy-kitchy!”

Papyrus began to twiddle and pinch his ribs, working his way back up his rib cage. “Only two minutes left, Sans! But can you last for that long? Nyeheheh!”

\----

No, he could not. At the rate things were going anyway.

Sans giggled and squeaked and squealed, curling in more and more on himself, completely caught up in her voice and the unendurable sensations they both gave him. "aaaahaa~haaa! ahaiiee~hehe! ihit's so t-tihickhlihish! stahaaaap! pleehease, it tihihihickles! aaahaaa! nnahahaaaaaiieeeee—! p-pleeeeeheeeeeeease~! ahaaaa—!" The shoe ended up clutched to his chest and he was near to sobbing.

\----

Both monsters laughed and halted their tickling, and Papyrus giggled, “There goes chance number two! Are you okay, Sans?”

\----

"hehehe ... hh~hhf ... h-huh...?" Everything from the waist up continued to tingle excruciatingly, and Sans shivered and trembled as he dizzily came back to his senses. His SOUL begged for more — ached for it. He nodded breathlessly. "doin' o-okay." Slowly uncurling, he twitchily raised his arms against his body's protests, gripping the shoe as tightly as he could managed with his weakened fingers. "i'll give the last one my best."

\----

“Hmm.... Perhaps to be a bit more fair we can start from the time you left off, which was a minute and a half. Better be careful, though, because your bones should be much more sensitive, and thus harder to ignore your reflexes!”

“Let's resume, then, shall we?” Deciding to leave his underarms alone, Toriel instead slid her hands under his shirt to tickle the right side of his rib cage.

Grinning eagerly, Papyrus tickled the left side under his shirt.

\----

Sans jumped at their combined attack, arching and kicking. Geeze, his ribs shouldn't be so _sensitive!_ "eeheehee~haahaa! nnhn—! oho gahahash! hahahaa! nn~hnnhnn! heeheee~!" He whined with every breath.

The shoe was a magnet. Repelling away. He could do this.

\----

Gliding her fluffy fingers up and down his spine, Toriel nuzzled and nosed his ribs through the shirt with her muzzle.

Papyrus twiddled his ribs again, only this time he made a sneaky move whenever Sans rolled over on his side, tickling at the sweet spot on his back fast and hard, only stopping once he rolled back on his back.

\----

"kkhh~heheeehee! ahaaa—! nnhn! nohono—! ggh~hh-haa—! hahaaa! thahat's s-so cruhuhuhuel!" Sans tried to keep on his back after Papyrus hit his sweet spot, but it was so hard not to rock around with Toriel's soft nudges, or to keep from writhing at the gentle grasp of his brother's fingers. He ended up sliding down along the bed on his back, his shirt riding up as he went.

The shoe.... Keep it up. Away from the sensation. His anchoring magnet. His illusion. Just a little bit longer. Please...!

\----

“Thirty seconds left! Let's kick it into high gear!” Papyrus scribbled all over his ribs fast and hard along his bare bones, occasionally going for his spine, still tickling his sweet spot whenever Sans would accidentally rock.

Toriel began doing the same trick as Papyrus with Sans' sweet spot, nuzzling and nibbling his bare ribs as her fingers and claws glided up and down his spine and skittered across his hip bones.

\----

Sans didn't have a chance. He thrashed and screeched hysterically, senses unable to keep up with everything they unleashed at him. He couldn't form coherent thought — the only thing he could latch onto to save him was: _Repel!_

The shoe was repelled all right. Right across the room. It ricocheted off the wall and hit the floor with a solid thunk.

\----

“Oh, my! Ahahahaha! Well, that certainly was quite the finale!” Toriel stopped tickling and laughed.

Papyrus stopped as well, and after he canceled the timer on his phone he struck a pose. “NYEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND LADY TORIEL ARE THE VICTORS OF THE SHOE GAME!”

\----

Sans groaned, catching his breath. "oooho gaha—~ ... hnn ... h-hh ... congrats ... hh ... th-that one was ... a _shoe-in_ for you though ... heh-hhf .. a _shoe-win!_ haha...! ghh-hh...!"

\----

“Ahahahaha! Oh, goodness!”

Papyrus shot Sans a deadpan expression before blowing a massive raspberry on his spine.

\----

Flinging his head back and wriggling, Sans loudly squealed. "aaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiieeeeeheeeeeheee—~! noho, pahahaaap! ahehe'm sahaharryyyheeheheee! aaaaahahaaaa!"

\----

“Okay, Papyrus, leave him alone.”

“Nyehehehe!” He giggled as he stopped.

“Sans, would you like me to restore your stamina? Or are you ready to continue to the next game?”

\----

"haah.... pl-please do ... i n-need the break anyway...." Sans lay completely still, chest rising and falling in his need for air. "do ... do i even h-have a real shot at w-winning the next one...?" he asked Papyrus. "like ... a for real chance...?"

\----

“Well...,” Papyrus drawled, “you also had one for the last game, but I suppose I was pretty unfair to you during the last thirty seconds. So yes, you do.”

“Mind explaining the rules of the next game while I heal Sans?” Placing her paws on Sans' shoulders, Toriel seeped her healing magic into him.

“Very well! The next game is called the Tickle Me Game. How this will go is Lady Toriel and I will tickle your feet and toes and you have to restrain yourself from pleading for mercy. If even the beginning of a plea slips out, I will paint the letter ‘T’ on your sole. Then Lady Toriel will paint the letter ‘I’, and so on and so forth. This will continue on, and we will aim to spell out the words "tickle me" on your feet. If we finish the phrase, we will use these scrub brushes to scrub the paint off, and shortly after you will enter the Dog Punishment. But if you can keep from pleading for five minutes, you win and we won't use the dog. We will also use the towel to wipe off the paint so it doesn't tickle nearly as much as the scrub brushes.”

\----

"o-okay.... i just wanted to— ...ohh ... hmm~"

Sans fell into a deeply relaxed state as Toriel worked her magic. He could feel his strength coming back to him in gentle, soothing waves. The stresses of thrashing and laughing and every other wearing thing on his body and magic melted and sloughed away from him, leaving him feeling refreshed, even though the memory of it all remained quite clearly intact.

Listening intently to the explanation, Sans's SOUL faintly sparked with fear, recalling the manner Flowey had tortured him. But this wouldn't be like that. Not really. No, not at all, because these were people who loved him and didn't want to hurt him or cause him to actually suffer. This was a game; a test of endurance, not a fight for his life. He breathed out shakily.

"is there a list of words i shouldn't say? is it just 'please', or does it include things like 'no', too?"

\----

“Hmm.... I suppose words that would make someone stop tickling. ‘Please, no, stop, don't, mercy, not there....’ Things like that. For other phrases that you commonly say when tickled — ‘oh stars, it tickles’ — stuff like that, you're allowed to say.”

\----

Sans nodded. "all right, i understand." He pulled himself to sit up against Papyrus's pillow, putting his own behind him as well to prop him up even more.

Eight chances. Five minutes. Protesting against tickling was a staple in Sans's under-tickle-duress vocabulary — sometimes when he didn't even mean it. Sometimes. He couldn't even remember how many times he'd used begging words in the last game alone, some even in the same breath. He'd even slipped up with Flowey under penalty of death and had been gagged for it.

But he supposed he might have a fair shot with this. He could resolve not to talk at all for as long as possible and see how it went. Maybe he could avoid the dog punishment yet.

\----

“Okay. Lady Toriel will tickle one foot and l'll tickle the other.” Resetting the phone timer, he pinned down one of Sans' feet and began to tickle his sole.

Grasping his other foot in her powerfully soft hold, Toriel teased under his toes with her claws.

\----

That strange contrast; he still wasn't used to it. He tensed, arms drawing in closer to himself, hands up to his mouth and fingers curled as he rocked on the spot. "kkhh~! ahaaaha! heeheeehe! hehe~haaha!" His toes leisurely danced.

\----

“Awww, look at these cute little toesies dancing for me! They're just so cute I wanna eat them up!” Toriel grinned as she began to nibble his toes.

“Ooo, good idea!” Papyrus giggled, nibbling his other set of toes.

\----

Sockets widening, Sans grabbed at the blanket in horrified anticipation. "nnnhnn, w-waiii—! eeeehehehee~! aaahahaaaaaaaa! oho gaahahaa—!" Shoot! Shoot, shoot! He'd been taken by surprise, and it slipped out so easily. It wasn't one of the mentioned words, but he was sure Papyrus would count it anyway.

\----

Papyrus chuckled and stopped nibbling, grabbing the paint brush and dipping it in the black paint he had at his disposal. Once Toriel stopped as well, he very slowly painted a ‘T’ on his right sole. The brush tickled greatly, and Sans could feel a touch of cold from the paint. “One letter down, seven to go!”

\----

The 'T' — so perfectly fitting for the word he'd almost uttered that still counted against him. And, oh, _gosssssssh_ , was Papyrus so painstakingly taking his time. "hh~ee~eeeeee~heee! geeheeze, pahap, ihit's just two strohokes!" He danced around outright telling him to hurry it up, eyes tightly squeezed shut, shoulders raised, head ducked, and hands trembling around bunched-up fabric beneath him. It felt so weird, and the perceptible coolness of the substance was a bit perturbing for him.

\----

Smirking, Papyrus decided to brush even slower just to spite Sans, even going so far as to very slowly brush a second coating over the letter. “Okay, all done!” he announced once he finally finished, pulling the brush away.

\----

"aaaaaaa~haaaah! nnhnnnn—!" Sans shivered, shaking his head. "ohoho ... thahat's cold, bro.... no, really, the paint's actually kinda cold." He straightened up with a nervous look. "and that 'no' was for clarification purposes, not a y'know, beggy kind of ... thing, heh."

\----

Papyrus giggled giddily. “Don't worry, Sans, I won't count that ‘no’ against you. Now, let us continue!” He resumed nibbling his toes as he dug his fingers into his sole, avoiding the freshly painted ‘T’ to prevent smudging it.

“Hmmm.... I'm honestly curious about something....” Toriel began to experimentally lick his toes, expecting Sans to find her tongue very rough and tickly.

\----

Grateful for that much at least, Sans was sharply eased back into his usual bouts of laughter, slumping back against the pillows, occasionally abusing the bed with pounds of his fist.

With Toriel's statement of curiosity, he glanced at her with growing dread. "gghh-hh! oh, gahaaahaash! whahat ahahare you doohooihing toho mehehe!?" he wailed, tugging even more fiercely on his ankles. It was wet and weird and a bit warm and tickled like crazy. "st—! sss—! aaahahaa, shoohoot!"

\----

After she and Papyrus stopped, Toriel was the one to paint the letter ‘I’ next. She painted a capital ‘I’, which used three agonizingly ticklishly looooong strokes across his right sole next to the ‘T’, teasing Sans by casually humming as she stroked.

\----

Sans's smile quivered, covering his eyes, letting the pillows take his full weight as Toriel took her sweet time. He thumped his head every time she set the brush back to his sole. Her melodic taunting proved she knew exactly what she was doing. "heee~hh~eeeheeheee—! you bohoth ahahre cruhuel! gghh—! eehee~! hhuh~ah! aaaaaaaha!" He couldn't stop shivering.

\----

“Okay, that should do it!” Toriel stopped and placed the paintbrush down before grabbing his left foot and resuming licking his toes, giggling all the while; her short little goat tail poking out of the back of her dress began to wag into a gleeful little while blur.

Pulling Sans' toes back, Papyrus started blowing raspberries on the ball of his foot and under his toes.

\----

So, operation 'no talking' had been going pretty poorly, so far. It was only a fourth of his chances down though, and surely they would exhaust their metaphorical bag of tricks before too long ... right? Sans reached backward to grab the top of the pillows as he bore through Toriel's new form of torture, sockets wincing even while closed at the subtle moist feeling her tongue left in its wake. He was sort of glad his feet were going to be washed after all this. The sandpaper-y texture was nothing short of insanity-inducing, and his foot would have reached the ceiling by now for all it's jumping if she didn't have such a strong hold.

He squealed anew at the razzes to his heel and especially close to his toes, the tautness of his sole making it even more sensitive, resonating through his magic. "aaahaaaaheeeheee~! aaaaaaaaaahaahaa! hhn-hh—~! ahe cahan't tahaake thihis! ahehe cahahan't s-stahaaahahaand thiiiiihihis!" he vented. "ihihit tihihickles! it reheeeheeallyhehee t-tickles~!"

\----

“There goes chance number three right out the window!” Papyrus and Toriel both stopped so he could slowly paint a ‘C’ on his sole next. “You're not doing too well, brother~”

\----

"oho, c'mohon...!" he protested with a shiver. "ihis th-that—! eeeeehee! ...really behegging? eeeheee~hha—! hh~hnnn! i-i'm juhust mahakin' stahatements...!" His fingers tangled at the hem of his shirt, twisting the fabric in stress.

\----

“I said saying anything that would give the incentive that you wanted the tickling to stop, not just begging. But ... if you really want this ‘C’ gone, we _could_ always scrub it all away and repaint the ‘T’ and ‘I’ if you so choose.~” He grabbed the scrub brush, ready to brush at his sole.

\----

Sans tensed and lifted a hand to wave it off frantically. "nono, that's oka—...!" He stopped suddenly, eyelights briefly flickering. "argh! ...i hate you, pap. i hate you so much," he huffed.

\----

“Nyahahaha! What? I'm not the one pleading for mercy when I'm not supposed to!” Without giving him a chance to respond, he went right back into toe raspberries.

“Ohohoh, dear.~” Toriel scribbled at his toes with her claws, the previous licking leaving them insanely sensitive.

\----

Surprised that he'd gone straight back to the tickling instead of jumping to add another letter, Sans shrieked, writhing at the overwhelming toe torture. Both of their methods were beyond agony and he hadn't even braced for it. "aaaaaaaaaaa~haaaa! pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeheease! eeeeeeeeheehee!" This time it was on purpose, he didn't even care. The paint was excruciating, but at least he could think, and he needed the time to get his head back in the game.

\----

“Wow, that didn't last long at all!” Papyrus gestured for Toriel to keep tickling his toes, which she did, as he agonizingly slowly painted a ‘K’ on his sole, still nibbling his toes.

\----

Oh, geeze, no! They weren't even going to let him collect himself anymore, it seemed. He couldn't stand it—! _Don't even think it_. "kkh~! aa—! ggh~haaahahaaaa! hh~haahahaaa! nn~hnhnn—! eeeeeheahahaaaaaaaa! gaaaahahaaash, ahaaaa!" His brother was proving to be quite devious. Of course, Sans knew Papyrus could be mischievous at times, but he was skirting the boundaries of what Sans expected from the game, almost like the sort of trickery Sans liked to use for FIGHTs. He briefly wondered if Papyrus's innocent face was as much of a mask as his own grin could be. To think, his own baby brother could be such a sneak. But he couldn't dwell on it for long because all the sensation pouring through him was pulling apart his sanity at the seams. And he couldn't say anything about it or he'd certainly mess up again, he knew.

\----

“We're at the halfway mark. Break time!” Papyrus and Toriel both stopped to let Sans breathe, and the skeleton paused the timer. “Nyehehe! You have two and a half minutes remaining, and your chances at winning are divided in two! I wonder what the outcome shall be from all this!”

Toriel giggled. “Sans, you're doing okay, right?”

\----

Panting heavily, Sans slowly untangled himself from all the twisting he had done. He was honestly reaching a limit. But ... with the score tied-up? He had a shot. He could do it! He could show them! Show Papyrus that he could beat his game! "i'm f-fine, hhff...." Oh, gosh, his toes still tingled so badly....

\----

“Alrighty. Let us know when you're ready to continue, brother.”

\----

Once his mind stopped spinning, Sans sat himself up properly again, waiting for his breathing to calm before he nodded. "okay, let's finish this."

\----

With a nod, starting the timer once more, Papyrus began twiddling and wiggling his toes around, skittering his other set of fingers across the top of his foot and toes.

Toriel resumed licking at his sole as she teased his toes with her claws, blowing the occasional raspberry.

\----

The break had helped — both physically and mentally — but they had learned all his buttons, and they were pushing them, _a lot_. "aaiieehaaaahaa! aheeheeeheeehaahaa! nnhn~haaahahaaaa! eeee~hee—! heheheheheeeee!" He was already fraying at the edges of his limit. Still, he wasn't going to talk this time, or at least so he resolved.

\----

Papyrus pulled his toes back to tickle under and between them fast and hard, blowing constant raspberries on his sole away from the painted letters.

“Awww, what's wrong, Sansy-Pansy? Does it tickle too much? You can always tell me to stop if you want to. Unless, of course, you really like it when I do this.~” Toriel nuzzled his toes between licks, gliding her claws up and down his sole at a fast yet light pace.

\----

_Stop it! Stop it! I can't take it! Mercy, pleeeeeeease!_ He couldn't hold back in his mind anymore, drowning in the ticklish agony. The raspberries were starting to overwhelm his magic to the point his foot was paralyzed by pure sensation, subsequently allowing Papyrus's fingers to be that much more potent at his toes. His other foot was faring no better under Toriel's attention. Her tongue was so unfairly ticklish by itself, but after the slight warmth of it passed, the trace amounts of saliva that lingered immediately cooled, leaving his toes excruciatingly sensitive, especially to her breath while she cooingly taunted him. Unlike his other, this foot was dancing and thrashing at the claws' touch, but there was nothing he could do to get away, not enough able to shake her off for a second.

Sans wasn't sure when he'd grabbed it, but now he had arms wrapped tightly around his pillow, clutched close to his chest, twisted and curled up as much as he could be around it, shaking. Tears streamed heavily down his face, and he was whimpering through his giggles. "ahaaaaaa...! ihit's t-tohorture...! nnhnhnn—!" he finally whined miserably. " haaaaa~aaaha! noho mohore t-tohoes...!" he sobbed.

\----

Toriel snickered as she very slowly painted an ‘L’ on his other sole, still licking and nuzzling his toes, with Papyrus still abusing his other foot with sole raspberries and toe scribbles. “Three more chances, Sansy-Pansy. Can you do it?~”

\----

He was really starting to hate brushes in general. "hnn~hh~haaahaaaaa~eehee!" Panic started to swell up tightly within him. He couldn't bargain for a moment of respite, there was no mercy in this game if they didn't want to give it — he'd have to create his own!

It was pretty mindless on his part, reflexive and defensive. The panic burst and his magic flared, touching both of his assailants' SOULS with blue. It was difficult to maintain on more than one target at a time and had a much reduced effect, but all his body wanted was a little space and he gave a gentle, shaky push away with his hand.

\----

“Whoa!” Papyrus stumbled back alongside Toriel. “Hey, that's cheating—!” He stopped mid-sentence when his timer went off, and he grumbled softly as he fished his phone out of his pocket to silence it.

Toriel softly laughed. “Hehee! Well, good news, Sans, you lasted five minutes!”

“Ehhh.... Even though you kinda cheated I'll still give that to you.” He dipped the towel in the soapy water and wiped the paint off his soles, trying not to tickle him too much.

\----

"hh ... h-hh ... heheh." Right now, the timer's beeping was the best sound in the world; Sans's expression lit up brightly. He coasted on tingles — now less of a torment since he knew it was over — an impulsive impish mood overtaking him and his grin turned to pure mischief. "heheh ... _please don't_ be mad that i was able to _wait_ it out, bro. i know you _can't stand_ losin', but your victories had to _stop_ at some point."

His feet were still hyper-sensitive in the aftermath, and he occasionally twitched and quietly gasped as Papyrus washed them. But it actually felt rather nice. He clutched at the sheets for a bit of support anyway.

"sorry i avoided your dog punishment, heheh. such a _dog-gone_ shame, i'm sure. … _dog. gone._ hahaha!" he babbled giddily as his brother worked. "oh, but now you get to suffer _my_ dog _pun_ ishment, hah! but don't worry, i won't be too _ruff_ on ya. that would be just _paw_ ful of me. i just need to gloat a little if that's o _canine_ with you, 'cause this just proves i'm not gonna _roll over_ like a _good boy_ every time. i can be _paw_ some sometimes too! oh, did i use 'paw' twice? eh, that's all right, they've got four of 'em, so i can actually get away with two more, heheheh. it's not like i'd _paw_ posefully over-do it, right? naw, it's im _paw_ sible for that to get annoying, hehehe! no ex _wag_ geration! ...ow, that one was kinda _pun_ ful to say ... hope i'm not having an existen _tail_ crisis! hahaaha!"

\----

Toriel seemed to laugh harder and louder at each pun, nearly falling over.

“PLEASE, SANS!” Papyrus stopped cleaning his feet and toes, and give his soles a warning tickle before letting go. “Well.... I suppose it's our turns now, huh?”

\----

"kkh—eeehe!" Sans squirmed at the small threat, pulling his feet up when his ankles were finally free. He wondered if he looked as happily dazed as he felt. Grinning, he looked between the two of them. "yeah, if you're up for it. i know it's pretty late, so if you guys want your turn tomorrow, i understand."

\----

“Well, you know that the Great Papyrus doesn't need nearly as much sleep as the rest of you!”

“Which means you'll be tickled for possibly the entire night.~”

“Exactly! ...WAIT, WHAT?!”

\----

Sans's grin widened. "heheheh ... that's right, you did say i could tickle you to my heart's content if i won, right?"

He tilted his head to look at Toriel. "and what about you, tori? would you like to join him, or would you rather a one-on-one session with me later?" He winked.

\----

“Well, I am rather tired, so I'm going to go to bed. That being said, let me know when you want to begin my sentence. Good night, you two! And good luck to you, Papyrus....” She giggled and blew Sans a kiss before leaving the room.

“Ohhhhh, boy....”

\----

Sans smiled at her with arched eyes. "good night, tori! sweet dreams!"

He turned back to Papyrus, eyelights shimmering gleefully, slowly scooching toward him. "hey, bro. guess that means you get my full attention, heheheh...."

\----

Giggling nervously, Papyrus shuffled around a bit. “O-okay, let's just get this over with.... N-nyehehee....”

\----

Sans gave him a cheeky smile. "aww, c'mon, pap, i'm sure this'll be a little fun for you, heheheh." He suddenly paused in his advancement. "hey, uh, you wouldn't mind changing into one of your puzzle shirts or somethin' would you? i wanna get a poke at your ribs, too, and it's a little difficult with all that armor." He thumped lightly at his own chest to punctuate his point. "i won't look if you do change. promise."

\----

Papyrus whiningly moaned a bit. “Ohhhh, I don't wanna...! Oh, okay.... I can just change in my closet.” He went into his closet, walking out moments later wearing his ‘Cool Dude’ shirt.

\----

Chuckling softly, Sans gave his brother a thumbs-up. "hey, cool guy, did you wanna try out any of those games? no laughing, or moving or anything? or should i just tickle you senseless, heheheh."

\----

“Well, you're the tickler now, so I suppose I'll give you the choice.” He sat down next to Sans on the bed, grinning nervously with a small glint of excitement shining in his sockets.

\----

"oh, i get to make the fun decisions, huh? heheh, all right, why don't you get comfy and then you can try that 'no moving' game and see how hard it is." He chuckled, giving Papyrus a small, affectionate push.

\----

“E-ehehehe.... Okay, I'll try....” He laid down on his back. “S-so, where are you going to tickle?”

\----

Sans waited until he was settled before moving down to his brother's feet. "why don't we start here?" He hovered his fingers out playfully. "uhh, i'll be gentle and rooting for ya, 'cause i don't wanna get kicked, heheh...."

\----

“O-okay, I'll do my best not to kick out....” Sitting up on his elbows, he grinned nervously, toes already wiggling a bit, and he giggled in anticipation.

\----

"good, that's reassuring. all right, i'll start now, so nooo moviiing these feet, bro!" Deciding to start him off easy, Sans put down one hand, extending just his index finger to lightly and lazily trace all the way around to edges of Papyrus's right foot. He watched his brother with a soft grin, teasing, "hey, remember all that _toe_ ture you put me through like five minutes ago? i think you're gonna maybe regret it soon...."

\----

“N-NYEH! Eheehehahaaha! Oh, nohohoo!” He jumped a bit, immediately thrown into giggles, struggling to keep his already slightly trembling foot still.

\----

Loosely gripping fingers around Papyrus's foot, Sans set his thumb against the sole, leisurely drawing circles from the heel to just under the toes. It was sort of relaxing being on this side of it; Sans's posture slackened.

\----

“Nyaahaaaahaha! Oh, gahaha- _EEEEE_!” Papyrus squealed loudly as Sans glided his thumb under his toes. Unable to keep still any longer, he curled them tightly, trapping his thumb underneath. “NOT THEHERE! AHAHAAAHAHA!”

\----

"oho wow, pap," Sans chuckled. "i guess we didn't start with an easy place for you at all, did we?" He relaxed his thumb. "all right let go and we can try again, hmm? if you can't hold those toes still this time, though, i'm really gonna get 'em, heheh."

\----

“I-I'll tryhee....” With much difficulty, Papyrus uncurled his toes, panting with soft giggles.

\-----

Carefully lifting his hand away so that he wouldn't accidentally brush the toes, Sans gingerly gripped the foot with both hands this time. "okay, get ready, i'm starting now," he warned before slowly and gently poking and prodding around the middle of the sole and instep with his thumbs.

\----

“ _NYAAAA_ HAAHAHA! AHAHAAHA! OH, STARS, IT TIHIHICKLES!” Papyrus slammed his fists down repetitively on the bed as he struggled with all his might not to move his feet or toes.

\----

Sans grinned a bit gleefully, slipping one hand away from his hold, lightly clawing his fingers and gliding up and down from the mid-foot to the heel. "kitchy kitchyyyy! you have such sensitive feet, huh, bro?"

\----

Papyrus dug his fingers into the bed sheet as he howled with laughter, his foot twitching a tiny bit despite himself. Oh, stars above, Sans was right: the teasing _did_ make the tickling worse! “NO TEHEEASING! PLEHEHEASE! AHAHAAAA!”

\----

"oh, dozzat bother you, little bro? would you rather i tease you or tickle your toes, huh? tickle tickle tiiiickle!" Sans arched his eyes, snickering, starting to softly wiggle his fingers against the sole.

\----

He arched his spine and squealed loudly, tears beginning to slowly run down his orange cheeks. “STAAAHAAHAHAP! AHAAHA! NYAHAHAAAA!” He released a loud snort in the midst of his raucous laughter.

\----

"maybe you like it when i tease you?" Sans goaded, not letting up from his current method. "do you like it when i talk about how _tiiiiicklish_ you are, huh? kitchy kitchy coooo!"

\----

“NOHOHAHAAHA! IT'S TOO MAHAAHACH! AHAAHAHA!” Papyrus felt his resolve beginning to quickly shatter as the tickling became more and more unbearable by each passing second.

\----

With a snicker, Sans very suddenly pulled his fingers away. "aww, wazzat too ticklish for you bro?" He kept his hand close, walking fingers in the air up above the toes, slowly and tauntingly wiggling them less than an inch away. "oho, but that's nothing like these toes would be, right? hehehe, i'm gonna getcha, pap! gitchy giiitchyyy getcha!"

\----

“N-NOOOHOHOHO!” It took every last strip of willpower he possessed to keep his toes from curling up again.

\----

"hehehe!" Sans pulled his hand back to giggle into it. "geeze, pap, what's got you so _toe_ tally worked up?" Using the hand that was still lightly holding on, Sans softly trailed his fingers across the top of the foot, still not touching the toes.

\----

Papyrus pummeled the bed with his fists again and thumped his head against the pillows as he cackled uncontrollably. Unfortunately, the tickling was too much for him to handle and he began yanking on his foot, his toes dancing like mad. “STAHAAHAP! NYAHAHAHAAAAAA!”

\----

"it's not so easy, huh?" Sans stopped tickling, instead now squeezing and massaging to calm Papyrus down, climbing on top of his ankles, holding on tightly with his legs. He grinned, fingers every so lightly brushing over the toes.

\----

Papyrus panted and smiled a bit at the massage, but yelped and jumped at the light toe tickles. He covered his mouth with a hand as the other slapped against the bed. “K-kkkhhhghnhnhn! Sahahans!”

\----

Sans found he actually had to restrain himself from spouting more tickle-talk — he didn't want Papyrus to get _too_ overwhelmed. Especially since his brother was probably strong enough to kick him off while he was the only thing pinning him down. Instead, he hummed with chuckles, softly grasping the toes to wiggle and roll them, two at a time.

\----

“Pfft- _yaaaa_ hahaahaha! Eheeheheahaha! That tickles so muhuch! Nyahaahahaaa!” He tried to wiggle his feet and toes away from Sans' fingers as he arched his spine a bit.

\----

"well it could be worse. i could be _hound_ ing you with more dog puns, heheheh. where'd you find that little guy, anyway?" Sans asked, spidering his fingertips down to his brother's heels to give him a bit of relief from the toe-tickling.

\----

His laughter died down a bit, but it was still pretty strong and loud. “Nyahaahahaheheehe! H-he seheehems to like to vihisit from tihime to time! I f-fahaaha-found him outsihide and brought hihim in!”

\----

"oh, that makes sense. i guess we just attract 'em with all the bones." Sans wasn't exactly afraid of dogs, or so he told himself — he was friends with a lot of dog monsters, after all. Just, sometimes, he felt rather uneasy around them, especially the kind that didn't talk.

Gliding his fingertips back up, he pried his brother's toes apart, scritching and twisting fingers between them, then pulled them all back so he could freely wiggle and poke underneath. "i gotcha now! hehehe!"

\----

“WAAAHAAHAHA! NOT THE TOES, NOT THE TOHOHOHAHAAHAHAAAA!” He bounced and thrashed on the bed, yanking at his feet and wiggling his toes uncontrollably.

\----

"w-woah, there! heheh!" Sans quickly withdrew so he could hang on, waiting for Papyrus to calm down. He half twisted around, so he could face him. "would you like me to move onto somethin' else? i could tie your legs down if you don't _really_ want me to stop...?" He grinned mischievously.

\----

Papyrus panted, and his face turned a deep orange as he turns away. “...W-well, I … I do have some emergency ropes in the supply closet....”

\----

"oho ... oh, pap...." Sans slowly slid off of him, hopping off the bed and making his way to the closet. "now who's the kinky one, huh?" he teased in delight. Finding the ropes, he went back to the end of the bed to start securing down his brother's legs and ankles.

\----

Papyrus hid his face in his hands, his entire face as orange as a carrot. “Sh-shut up....”

\----

Sans softly snickered as he finished knotting the ropes. "hey, it's okay, pap. you know i'm just _ribbing_ ya, right?" Smiling gently, he pointed. "do you want me to tie down your arms too, or would ya rather keep 'em free?"

\----

“Alright.... Well.... I don't wanna do anything drastic, so I suppose you should tie my arms down, too.”

\----

Scooching up, Sans gently pushed Papyrus's arms above his head, starting to secure them as well. "okay, well just let me know if you get uncomfortable, all right? i know you said you don't like when it's torture, so i'll be listenin' to you." Smiling, he briefly slipped wiggling fingers to his brother's neck. "and if you think i'm going too easy on ya, you can let me know that too." He chuckled.

\---

Papyrus tilted his head to better expose his neck and giggled, trembling a bit. “O-okahayhee! The safe word is still ‘red’, right?”

\----

"yep, so just use it if ya need to." Giving Papyrus's shoulder a gentle pat, he made his way back to the other end of the bed, sitting back on top of the now thoroughly restrained ankles. "let's pick up where we left off, huh?" Prying the toes back, Sans gently teased beneath them.

\----

“E-EEEHEEHEHAAHA! NYEHEEHEHE!” He wiggled his toes as much as he possibly could as his body twisted around in his bonds.

\----

Now not worried about being thrown off, Sans allowed himself to pick up the pace a little, scratching and tweaking, occasionally raking stiffly down the soles before jumping back to the toes. "now you gotta take it, doncha? tickle tickle! tickle tickle tickle! heheheh!"

\----

His feet jerked around and his toes curled and danced out of his control as he laughed loudly, flinging his head from side to side. “AHAAHAHA! SAHAAAHAHANS! OH, GAHAAHAHAAAA!”

\----

Slowing down again, Sans gently took both pinky-toes between a thumb and finger each, gingerly rolling them with methodical care. "who's got the most adorable, ticklish toes, huh? kitchy kitchy! maybe we should just do this all night? whaddya think? hehe...."

\----

Papyrus squeaked, giggling profusely and airily, snorting from time to time. “Eeeheehehe! N-no teheeheasing! Nyeehehehee!”

\----

"well, geeze, pap, i wouldn't be much good of an older bro if i didn't tease ya a little, would i?" He winked, then glanced over, reaching out and grabbing the paintbrush from their previous activity, inspecting it. The bristles had been washed, so he grasped it firmly and honed his focus a little more, using the tool to slowly explore all over his toes, watching carefully for whatever made Papyrus the most vocal or the most jumpy.

\----

His sockets widened and he cachinnated and thrashed around, trying to wiggle his toes away. He threw his head back to let out a loud squeal as the brush stroked the tops of his toes. “NOOOOAAAHAAHAHA! YAAAHAAHAHAHA!”

\----

"oho, woah, do ya got some pretty sensitive toe-tips there, bro?" Grinning, Sans gripped Papyrus's left set of toes with one hand to hold them relatively still, dragging the brush agonizingly over the tops.

\----

“NYAAAAHAAHAHAAHA! AHAAHAHA! STAHAAAAAP! _AAAAHHGH_! AHAAHAHAHAAAAA!” Snorting once again, he thrashed around uncontrollably, tears falling down his cheeks.

\----

"all right, all right." Sans backed off, looking back. "you need a break, pap? sounds like it's pretty intense for ya."

\----

Papyrus breathed deeply, coughing a bit when he took in too much air into his nonexistent lungs too quickly, and he shook his head. “I-I'm fine.... Just ... too ... t-ticklish....”

\----

"well, okay, why don't i give your feet a rest and poke at your ribs a bit, heheh." With a firm, parting squeeze to his toes, Sans moved up to Papyrus's chest, gently feeling out and brushing fingers along the rib-bones over his shirt.

\----

“A-AHAAHAHAHA! NYEHEEHEHAHAAHAHA!” He yanked hard on his arm restraints, but they held fast, keeping his sensitive torso exposed and at his brother's mercy.

\----

Sans smiled with a bit of satisfaction. "i don't get back at you here often enough." He softly stroked and prodded for a little while before sliding his hands underneath the shirt to gently grasp and fiddle with the lower ribs, working his way up.

\----

He shook and splayed out in tickle shock as he squealed silently, thrown back into cackling as he thumped his head on the pillow. “GYAAHAHAAAAA! AHAAHAHA! MY-MY POOR RIHIHIIIIBS!”

\----

"hehehe.... i don't think i've ever tried out my sweet spot on you, have i? let's see how you like it." Sliding fingers under to Papyrus's back, he felt for and gingerly poked into the grooves between ribs and spine.

\----

Papyrus gasped loudly and his cheeks turned so orange they were almost red. He failed to choke back a little moan. “ST-STNNHNGH!...~”

\----

Sans quickly pulled away in concern. "ah, you okay, pap? shoot, i didn't hurt'cha did i?" He noticed how much his brother was blushing. "...or, uhh.... i-i'll just leave it alone, heh...."

\----

His voice was barely more than a whisper, which was very uncharacteristic of him, looking firmly away. “O-okay.... Sorry....”

\----

Sans glanced away, leaning back a little and rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly. "nah, uh, don't apologize." He waved it off with his other hand. Realizing he might be stretching out any any embarrassed feelings, he forced himself to look back with a gentle smile, reaching up for Papyrus's neck. "heh, i've got lotsa other great spots to getcha!" He wiggled and spidered his fingertips along his vertebrae.

\----

“EEEK! Nyeeheheehahaaha!” With a startled squeak, he giggled quite giddily, and he squirmed a bit, not really doing anything to protect his neck.

\----

Arching his eyes, Sans glided and stroked his fingers freely. "it's still so adorable how much you like this here, heheh." Leaning down, he nuzzled along the side of his brother's neck with his teeth, humming.

\----

“Nyeeehaahahaa! That tihihickles! Eeeheehehe!~” He snorted and squeaked a bit as he squirmed, clearly having a lot of fun.

\----

Giggling a bit, Sans sat up, giving Papyrus a teasing smirk. "does it? uh-oh, i better not touch'ya there then, huh?" He wiggled his fingers playfully close. "unless you waaaaant it. do you want me to tickle your neck, pap? tell me if you do~"

\----

“S-Sahahaaaans! Don't dohoho this to me! Nyeehehahahaa! It's embahaharrassiiing!...” He giggled uncontrollably with a powerful blush.

\----

"it's adorable," Sans shot back with a snicker. "but if you reeeeeally don't want me to...." He slowly pulled his hand away, hovering it over Papyrus's ribs instead.

\----

“N-no, please tickle my neck! I-I mean....” Papyrus moaned lightly in embarrassment and his cheeks flushed orange.

\----

Sans curled his fingers up to his mouth as he quietly laughed in mirth. "oh, so you doooo want it." His expression turned rather devious with a wicked grin, using both hands now to spider and glide and stroke along the jaw, under the chin and on either side of his brother's neck. "careful what'cha ask for, heheh. kitchy kitchyyy coo! you like that bro? havin' fun? tickle tickle tickle!"

\----

“Aaahaahaha! Nyahaahahaheeeehehe! Y-yeheehes! Eheehehe!” He grinned widely and trembled, struggling to keep his head from thrashing and his shoulders from raising.

\----

"hehehe, good. i'm havin' fun too." He nuzzled his skull back under Papyrus's chin, sliding fingers back to his nape, playing with and poking around the ridges.

\----

Papyrus fell into uncontrollable squeaky giggles as he bounced his spine around a bit, tears falling down his cheeks. “Eheehehe! Nyeeheeeehahaaha!”

\----

Gradually lowering and laying himself down comfortably up against his brother, Sans continued humming pleasantly into one side of his neck with affectionate nuzzles. One of his hands trailed down to slowly explore with fingertips, brushing under Papyrus's arm and over his ribs through his shirt, trailing down to his spine.

\----

His giggling didn't falter, and he squealed and yanked at his arm restraints at the exploration of his underarm, ribs, and spine. He tried to wiggle his spine away from Sans' fingers, snorting. “NAAHAHAA! N-NOHOHAAHAHA!”

\----

With a happy sigh, Sans pushed himself back up to a sit, smiling down at Papyrus. "you still doing okay? would you like more or have you had enough tonight?"

\----

He panted quite heavily, soft giggles trailing every breath. “I.... I think ... I'm good ... for tonight.... N-nyehehehe.... That was fun...~”

\----

"heheh, okay, cool guy." Sans gave his brother's skull a fond bonk with his teeth before starting to untie his wrists. "glad you had fun. and, uh, well, i had fun with your games too. sorry for cheating on the last one, i'll try to keep my magic in check if we ever play it again."

\----

“Nyeh, don't worry about it. It was still fun while it lasted. Now I'm really tired, though....” As if on cue, his mouth widened in a big yawn.

\----

"yeah, heh. i told tori i'd probably be sleeping in 'til noon. now i'm thinkin' i might not even get up tomorrow. oh, wait ... i guess it's been 'tomorrow' for awhile." He chuckled with a shrug, untying his brother's legs and ankles, coiling up the rope before putting it away. "love ya, bro. good night."

\----

Papyrus hugged Sans close and gave his ribs a quick little tickle before letting him go. “Good night, brother! Nyeheehe!”

\----

Sans flinched with a squeak, eyes arched, then playfully glared at Papyrus, rubbing at the spots his brother's fingers had been. "you sneak...." Retrieving his jacket and pillow, Sans turned out the light, quietly closing the door, and made his way to his own room. He fell asleep more or less as soon as his head hit the pillow.

\----

Papyrus chuckled and smiled, his SOUL feeling light with happiness as he fell asleep.


End file.
